2.1.1 Number of undernourished people — Value in Southern Africa
Southern Africa: 2.1.1 Number of undernourished people — Value was 9.1 million No in 2025. ▲ Rising
2.1.1 Number of undernourished people — Value in Southern Africa, 2000–2025
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in million No.
Analysis
Southern Africa recorded 9.1 million No for 2.1.1 number of undernourished people — value in 2025. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.2% on the previous year and up 85.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, 2.1.1 number of undernourished people — value in Southern Africa peaked at 9.1 million No in 2025 and was at its lowest, 2.6 million No, in 2001.
Southern Africa ranks 19th of 24 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
2.1.1 Number of undernourished people — Value in Southern Africa, year by year
| Year | million No | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 2.7 million No | — |
| 2001 | 2.6 million No | -3.7% |
| 2002 | 2.8 million No | +7.7% |
| 2003 | 2.7 million No | -3.6% |
| 2004 | 2.7 million No | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 2.7 million No | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 2.9 million No | +7.4% |
| 2007 | 3 million No | +3.4% |
| 2008 | 3 million No | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 3.1 million No | +3.3% |
| 2010 | 3.8 million No | +22.6% |
| 2011 | 3.8 million No | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 3.7 million No | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 3.9 million No | +5.4% |
| 2014 | 4.4 million No | +12.8% |
| 2015 | 4.9 million No | +11.4% |
| 2016 | 4.8 million No | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 4.6 million No | -4.2% |
| 2018 | 4.9 million No | +6.5% |
| 2019 | 5.4 million No | +10.2% |
| 2020 | 6.7 million No | +24.1% |
| 2021 | 7.9 million No | +17.9% |
| 2022 | 7.4 million No | -6.3% |
| 2023 | 8.1 million No | +9.5% |
| 2024 | 8.9 million No | +9.9% |
| 2025 | 9.1 million No | +2.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 2.82 million No | 2.6 million No | 3.1 million No | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.42 million No | 3.7 million No | 5.4 million No | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.02 million No | 6.7 million No | 9.1 million No | 6 |
Countries ranked near Southern Africa
- 16 South Africa 7.2 million No compare
- 16 Timor-Leste 0.2 million No compare
- 17 Chad 6.8 million No compare
- 17 Republic of Moldova 0.1 million No compare
- 18 Angola 6.6 million No compare
- 19 Iraq 6.2 million No compare
- 20 Haiti 6.1 million No compare
- 21 Brazil 5.6 million No compare
- 22 Côte d'Ivoire 3.6 million No compare
- 22 Malawi 5.3 million No compare
More economy & growth data for Southern Africa
- Gross Domestic Product, GDP in millions constant 2021 international $ 1.01 million (2027)
- Gross Domestic Product — Value US$ 437,021 million USD (2024)
- Gross Fixed Capital Formation — Share of GDP US$ 15.7 % (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Value US$ per capita 5,975 USD (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Value US$ per capita, 2015 prices 5,489 USD (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Value US$, 2015 prices 401,475 million USD (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Annual growth US$ 5 % (2024)
- Gross Domestic Product — Annual growth US$ per capita 3.65 % (2024)
- Gross Fixed Capital Formation — Annual growth US$ 2.74 % (2024)
- Gross Fixed Capital Formation — Share of GDP US$, 2015 prices 15.36 % (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is 2.1.1 number of undernourished people — value in Southern Africa?
- 2.1.1 number of undernourished people — value in Southern Africa was 9.1 million No in 2025, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest 2.1.1 number of undernourished people — value recorded in Southern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 9.1 million No in 2025.
- What is the lowest 2.1.1 number of undernourished people — value recorded in Southern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.6 million No in 2001.
- How does Southern Africa rank for 2.1.1 number of undernourished people — value?
- Southern Africa ranks 19th out of 24 groups with data for 2025.
- Is 2.1.1 number of undernourished people — value rising or falling in Southern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 85.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Southern Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of 2.1.1 Number of undernourished people — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
As the custodian agency of 22 SDG indicators, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) is responsible for curating and refining the methodologies of these indicators, collecting data from national sources, ensuring their quality and compatibility with applicable standards and classifications, and disseminating data at global level. This FAOSTAT domain complements the global SDG database administered by the United Nations Statistical Division (UNSD), as well as FAO’s SDG indicators portal, by providing access to the available data for all SDG Indicators under FAO custodianship. While this metadata page provides summary information on all SDG indicators data disseminated through FAOSTAT, indicator-specific metadata can be accessed from the link on the right hand navigation column. This additional metadata file provides details on the methodology used to compile each indicators, their data sources and the contact information of the relevant FAO focal point. It includes the links to the official SDG Indicator metadata documents accessible from the UNSD global SDG database.SDG Indicators under FAO custodianship, consisting of 22 indicators and 66 series that fall under six goals: • Goal 2: End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture.• Goal 5: Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls.• Goal 6: Clean water and sanitation: Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.• Goal 12: Responsible consumption and production.• Goal 14: Life below water: Conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources.• Goal 15: Life on land: Sustainably manage forests, combat desertification, halt and reverse land degradation, halt biodiversity loss.