Food insecurity — all countries

Food insecurity — Central Asia

Food insecurity in Central Asia in 2023 — 17.6%. Since 2017, the indicator has risen by 5.2 pp.

2023 17.6% −0.2 pp vs 2022
World rank
Period maximum 18.3%2021
Period minimum 12.5%2017

Trend over time

2017–2023 · % of population

Food insecurity — Central Asia, 2017–2023121416182020172018201920202021202220232017: 12.5%2018: 13.6%2019: 14.9%2020: 17.1%2021: 18.3%2022: 17.9%2023: 17.6%
Change over the period: +5.2 pp Annual average: 0.86 pp

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Central Asia

Central Asia 17.6%
World 28.4%
Food insecurity — Central Asia, by year Central Asia All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2023 17.6 −0.2 pp
2022 17.9 −0.4 pp
2021 18.3 +1.3 pp
2020 17.1 +2.2 pp
2019 14.9 +1.3 pp
2018 13.6 +1.1 pp
2017 12.5

About the indicator

The share of the population that experienced moderate or severe food insecurity, on the FIES scale of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. The indicator is built not on calories but on a survey: people are asked whether over the past year they had to eat less, skip meals or go without food for a whole day because of a lack of money. That is why it catches what undernourishment by calories misses — episodic shortage in countries where the average diet is sufficient.

Important: The moderate and severe forms together, so the values are substantially higher than those of the undernourishment indicator. Based on a survey rather than on a food balance sheet — this is an independent measurement, not a refinement.

Source: FAOSTAT (FAO), license CC BY 4.0.