Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished was 25.1 percent in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Zimbabwe, 2015–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in percent.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 25.1 percent for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.8% on the previous year and down 29.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Zimbabwe peaked at 36.7 percent in 2016 and was at its lowest, 25.1 percent, in 2023.
Zimbabwe ranks 13th of 125 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | percent | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 35.5 percent | — |
| 2016 | 36.7 percent | +3.4% |
| 2017 | 35.9 percent | -2.2% |
| 2018 | 34.2 percent | -4.7% |
| 2019 | 32.1 percent | -6.1% |
| 2020 | 31.3 percent | -2.5% |
| 2021 | 28.6 percent | -8.6% |
| 2022 | 26.1 percent | -8.7% |
| 2023 | 25.1 percent | -3.8% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 25.1 percent is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 10.1 percent, 2.5× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 25.1 percent is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.4 percent, 1.4× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 34.88 percent | 32.1 percent | 36.7 percent | 5 |
| 2020s | 27.78 percent | 25.1 percent | 31.3 percent | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More reference data data for Zimbabwe
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Political opposition, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament and government, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2024)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 122.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Zimbabwe?
- Share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished in Zimbabwe was 25.1 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 36.7 percent in 2016.
- What is the lowest share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 25.1 percent in 2023.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished?
- Zimbabwe ranks 13th out of 125 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of the population defined as severely food insecure vs. undernourished rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.