Food insecurity — all countries

Food insecurity — World

Food insecurity in the world in 2024 — 28%. Since 2014, the indicator has risen by 6.9 pp.

2024 28% −0.4 pp vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 28.9%2021
Period minimum 21.1%2014

Trend over time

2014–2024 · % of population

Food insecurity — World, 2014–2024202224262830201420152016201720182019202020212022202320242014: 21.1%2015: 21.4%2016: 22.4%2017: 23.5%2018: 24.6%2019: 25%2020: 28.8%2021: 28.9%2022: 28.5%2023: 28.4%2024: 28%
Change over the period: +6.9 pp Annual average: 0.69 pp

Comparison, 2024

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

World 28%
World 28%
Food insecurity — World, by year World All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2024 28 −0.4 pp
2023 28.4 −0.1 pp
2022 28.5 −0.4 pp
2021 28.9 +0.1 pp
2020 28.8 +3.8 pp
2019 25 +0.3 pp
2018 24.6 +1.1 pp
2017 23.5 +1.1 pp
2016 22.4 +1 pp
2015 21.4 +0.4 pp
2014 21.1

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.