Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Nigeria
Nigeria: Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished was 24.3 percent in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Nigeria, 2015–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in percent.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 24.3 percent for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in 2023. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 7.5% on the previous year and up 120.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Nigeria peaked at 24.3 percent in 2023 and was at its lowest, 11 percent, in 2015.
Nigeria ranks 17th of 125 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 13.86 percent | 11 percent | 17.3 percent | 5 |
| 2020s | 22 percent | 19.8 percent | 24.3 percent | 4 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More reference data data for Nigeria
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- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3105 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.8 °C (2026)
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- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.4187 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.76 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 860.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Nigeria?
- Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Nigeria was 24.3 percent in 2023, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 24.3 percent in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 11 percent in 2015.
- How does Nigeria rank for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished?
- Nigeria ranks 17th out of 125 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 120.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Nigeria data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Both metrics indicate that someone does not get enough food (in terms of calories) to eat: these metrics should be strongly correlated. Severe food insecurity is measured based on food security questionnaires among households. Undernourishment is based on estimates of actual calorie intake across the population.