Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Peru

Peru: Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished was 14.5 percent in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
14.5 percent
Change on year
down 2.0%
World rank
29th
of 125 countries
All-time high
14.9 percent
in 2021
All-time low
9.9 percent
in 2015
Years of data
9
2015–2023

Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Peru, 2015–2023

0510152015201920232015: 9.9 percent2016: 11.8 percent2017: 12 percent2018: 12.7 percent2019: 13.6 percent2020: 14.3 percent2021: 14.9 percent2022: 14.8 percent2023: 14.5 percent

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in percent.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Peru is 14.5 percent, measured in 2023.

The figure is down 2.0% on the previous year and up 46.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Peru peaked at 14.9 percent in 2021 and was at its lowest, 9.9 percent, in 2015.

Peru ranks 29th of 125 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 12 percent 9.9 percent 13.6 percent 5
2020s 14.62 percent 14.3 percent 14.9 percent 4

Countries ranked near Peru

  1. 27 Benin 15 percent compare
  2. 28 Uganda 14.9 percent compare
  3. 30 Mauritania 13.1 percent compare
  4. 31 Nepal 12.8 percent compare
  5. 32 Argentina 12.3 percent compare

See the full ranking of 125 places →

More reference data data for Peru

All data for Peru →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Peru?
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Peru was 14.5 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 Peru?
The highest recorded value was 14.9 percent in 2021.
What is the lowest share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished recorded in Peru?
The lowest recorded value was 9.9 percent in 2015.
How does Peru rank for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished?
Peru ranks 29th out of 125 countries with data for 2023.
Is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished rising or falling in Peru?
Over the last ten years it is up 46.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Peru 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.

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished
Unit
percent
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
125 places, 1,042 data points, 2015–2023
Last refreshed

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.