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.
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
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.0386 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies -0.018 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.3261 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.5273 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.2981 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 483.32 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (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 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.
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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.