Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Zambia
Zambia: Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished was 17.2 percent in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Zambia, 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 Zambia stood at 17.2 percent. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of down 9.5% on the previous year and down 23.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Zambia peaked at 25 percent in 2018 and was at its lowest, 17.2 percent, in 2023.
Zambia ranks 23rd of 125 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Zambia, year by year
| Year | percent | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 22.4 percent | — |
| 2016 | 23.8 percent | +6.3% |
| 2017 | 24.1 percent | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 25 percent | +3.7% |
| 2019 | 22.5 percent | -10.0% |
| 2020 | 22.4 percent | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 19.7 percent | -12.1% |
| 2022 | 19 percent | -3.6% |
| 2023 | 17.2 percent | -9.5% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 17.2 percent is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.1 percent, 1.7× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 17.2 percent is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.4 percent, 93% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 23.56 percent | 22.4 percent | 25 percent | 5 |
| 2020s | 19.57 percent | 17.2 percent | 22.4 percent | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 20 Ethiopia 19 percent compare
- 21 Dominican Republic 17.9 percent compare
- 22 Madagascar 17.8 percent compare
- 23 Libya 17.2 percent compare
- 25 El Salvador 15.4 percent compare
- 25 Honduras 15.4 percent compare
More reference data data for Zambia
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 18.94 (2026)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2025)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 40.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 4 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Zambia?
- Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Zambia was 17.2 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 25 percent in 2018.
- What is the lowest share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.2 percent in 2023.
- How does Zambia rank for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished?
- Zambia ranks 23rd out of 125 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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.