Food insecurity — all countries

Food insecurity — Southern Europe

Food insecurity in Southern Europe in 2023 — 5.8%. Since 2015, the indicator has fallen by 4.9 pp.

2023 5.8% −0.6 pp vs 2022
World rank
Period maximum 10.9%2016
Period minimum 5.8%2023

Trend over time

2015–2023 · % of population

Food insecurity — Southern Europe, 2015–202346810122015201620172018201920202021202220232015: 10.7%2016: 10.9%2017: 10.7%2018: 10.8%2019: 10.4%2020: 10.3%2021: 6.9%2022: 6.4%2023: 5.8%
Change over the period: −4.9 pp Annual average: -0.62 pp

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Southern Europe

Southern Europe 5.8%
World 28.4%
Food insecurity — Southern Europe, by year Southern Europe All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2023 5.8 −0.6 pp
2022 6.4 −0.6 pp
2021 6.9 −3.4 pp
2020 10.3 −0.1 pp
2019 10.4 −0.4 pp
2018 10.8 +0.1 pp
2017 10.7 −0.2 pp
2016 10.9 +0.2 pp
2015 10.7

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.