Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Tanzania
Tanzania: Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished was 24.4 percent in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Tanzania, 2015–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in percent.
Analysis
In 2023, share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Tanzania stood at 24.4 percent.
The figure is down 3.9% on the previous year and up 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Tanzania peaked at 26.3 percent in 2021 and was at its lowest, 20.6 percent, in 2015.
That places Tanzania 16th out of 125 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Tanzania, year by year
| Year | percent | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 20.6 percent | — |
| 2016 | 24.8 percent | +20.4% |
| 2017 | 25.6 percent | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 24.9 percent | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 24.4 percent | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 25.8 percent | +5.7% |
| 2021 | 26.3 percent | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 25.4 percent | -3.4% |
| 2023 | 24.4 percent | -3.9% |
Tanzania compared with similar countries
- Tanzania's 24.4 percent is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.1 percent, 2.4× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Tanzania's 24.4 percent is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.4 percent, 1.3× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 24.06 percent | 20.6 percent | 25.6 percent | 5 |
| 2020s | 25.48 percent | 24.4 percent | 26.3 percent | 4 |
Countries ranked near Tanzania
More reference data data for Tanzania
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.6405 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 11.44 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 14.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7582 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 14.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 2.15 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.26 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 59.37 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 72.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Tanzania?
- Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Tanzania was 24.4 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 Tanzania?
- The highest recorded value was 26.3 percent in 2021.
- What is the lowest share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished recorded in Tanzania?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.6 percent in 2015.
- How does Tanzania rank for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished?
- Tanzania ranks 16th out of 125 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished rising or falling in Tanzania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Tanzania 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.