Share of population with severe food insecurity in Zambia

Zambia: Share of population with severe food insecurity was 17.2 in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
17.2
Change on year
down 9.5%
World rank
23rd
of 125 countries
All-time high
25
in 2018
All-time low
17.2
in 2023
Years of data
9
2015–2023

Share of population with severe food insecurity in Zambia, 2015–2023

05101520252015201920232015: 22.42016: 23.82017: 24.12018: 252019: 22.52020: 22.42021: 19.72022: 192023: 17.2

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Zambia recorded 17.2 for share of population with severe food insecurity in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.

That represents a change of down 9.5% on the previous year and down 23.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of population with severe food insecurity in Zambia peaked at 25 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 17.2, in 2023.

Zambia ranks 23rd of 125 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Share of population with severe food insecurity in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Share of population with severe food insecurity in Zambia, 2015 to 2023.
Year Value Change
2015 22.4
2016 23.8 +6.3%
2017 24.1 +1.3%
2018 25 +3.7%
2019 22.5 -10.0%
2020 22.4 -0.4%
2021 19.7 -12.1%
2022 19 -3.6%
2023 17.2 -9.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 23.56 22.4 25 5
2020s 19.57 17.2 22.4 4

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 20 Ethiopia 19 compare
  2. 21 Dominican Republic 17.9 compare
  3. 22 Madagascar 17.8 compare
  4. 23 Libya 17.2 compare
  5. 25 El Salvador 15.4 compare
  6. 25 Honduras 15.4 compare

See the full ranking of 125 places →

More population data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of population with severe food insecurity in Zambia?
Share of population with severe food insecurity in Zambia was 17.2 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of population with severe food insecurity recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 25 in 2018.
What is the lowest share of population with severe food insecurity recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 17.2 in 2023.
How does Zambia rank for share of population with severe food insecurity?
Zambia ranks 23rd out of 125 countries with data for 2023.
Is share of population with severe food insecurity rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is down 23.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Zambia data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population with severe food insecurity. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of population with severe food insecurity in Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-population-with-severe-food-insecurity/zambia/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of population with severe food insecurity
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
125 places, 1,042 data points, 2015–2023
Last refreshed