Share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity in Pakistan
Pakistan: Share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity was 42.1 percent in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity in Pakistan, 2015–2023
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in percent.
Analysis
In 2023, share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity in Pakistan stood at 42.1 percent. That is the highest value across all 9 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 198.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity in Pakistan peaked at 42.1 percent in 2023 and was at its lowest, 12.1 percent, in 2016.
That places Pakistan 35th out of 126 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity in Pakistan, year by year
| Year | percent | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 14.1 percent | — |
| 2016 | 12.1 percent | -14.2% |
| 2017 | 12.8 percent | +5.8% |
| 2018 | 14.2 percent | +10.9% |
| 2019 | 24.3 percent | +71.1% |
| 2020 | 32.6 percent | +34.2% |
| 2021 | 41 percent | +25.8% |
| 2022 | 41.7 percent | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 42.1 percent | +1.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 15.5 percent | 12.1 percent | 24.3 percent | 5 |
| 2020s | 39.35 percent | 32.6 percent | 42.1 percent | 4 |
Countries ranked near Pakistan
More population data for Pakistan
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.1692 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate 0.7801 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.1692 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.1091 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 367,808 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 1.8 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.5037 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.2% (2100)
- Population density 662.88 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 32.24 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity in Pakistan?
- Share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity in Pakistan was 42.1 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 population with moderate or severe food insecurity recorded in Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 42.1 percent in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity recorded in Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.1 percent in 2016.
- How does Pakistan rank for share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity?
- Pakistan ranks 35th out of 126 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of population with moderate or severe food insecurity rising or falling in Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is up 198.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Pakistan 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 population with moderate or severe food insecurity. 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
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).