Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Spain
Spain: Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished was 1.4 percent in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Spain, 2015–2023
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 Spain is 1.4 percent, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 6.7% on the previous year and up 27.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Spain peaked at 2 percent in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.1 percent, in 2015.
That places Spain 102nd out of 125 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Spain, year by year
| Year | percent | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 1.1 percent | — |
| 2016 | 1.3 percent | +18.2% |
| 2017 | 1.4 percent | +7.7% |
| 2018 | 1.7 percent | +21.4% |
| 2019 | 1.8 percent | +5.9% |
| 2020 | 2 percent | +11.1% |
| 2021 | 1.8 percent | -10.0% |
| 2022 | 1.5 percent | -16.7% |
| 2023 | 1.4 percent | -6.7% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 1.4 percent is below the median for high income countries, which is 1.95 percent, 72% of the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Spain's 1.4 percent is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 1.85 percent, 76% of the median. (44 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1.46 percent | 1.1 percent | 1.8 percent | 5 |
| 2020s | 1.68 percent | 1.4 percent | 2 percent | 4 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More reference data data for Spain
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.18 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 11.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.898 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 11.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 10.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 11.06 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 52.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.89 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Spain?
- Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Spain was 1.4 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 2 percent in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1 percent in 2015.
- How does Spain rank for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished?
- Spain ranks 102nd out of 125 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 27.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Spain 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.