Costa Rica vs Malaysia: Share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity
Costa Rica
15.4 percent
in 2023
Malaysia
16.7 percent
in 2023
Costa Rica rank
75th
Malaysia rank
72nd
Share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity over time
- Costa Rica
- Malaysia
How they compare
Malaysia currently reports 16.7 percent against 15.4 percent in Costa Rica, a difference of 1.3 percent.
That makes Malaysia's figure about 1.1 times Costa Rica's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 9 shared years of data; in 2015 it was Malaysia ahead.
Costa Rica ranks 75th and Malaysia ranks 72nd of 126 countries.
Malaysia has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Costa Rica | Malaysia | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 13.72 percent | 15.52 percent | 1.8 percent | Malaysia |
| 2020s | 15.93 percent | 16.2 percent | 0.275 percent | Malaysia |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity, Costa Rica or Malaysia?
- Malaysia, at 16.7 percent against 15.4 percent in Costa Rica as of 2023.
- What is the difference in share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity between Costa Rica and Malaysia?
- 1.3 percent, with Malaysia ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Costa Rica and Malaysia?
- 9 years are reported by both, from 2015 to 2023.
- How do Costa Rica and Malaysia rank globally for share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity?
- Costa Rica ranks 75th and Malaysia ranks 72nd of 126 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Food insecurity is defined by the Food Insecurity Experience Scale (FIES). Moderate food insecurity is associated with the inability to regularly eat healthy, nutritious diets. Severe food insecurity is more related to insufficient quantity of food (energy).