Small states: Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Small states' prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) rose 0.43 percentage points on 2023 (from 9.15% to 9.58%).

Across the 9 yearly changes before that (2015 to 2023), the average change was +0.1 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.26 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 0.47 percentage points in 2020 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.31 percentage points in 2019. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.14 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 64% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

What this measures

The percentage of people in the population who live in households classified as severely food insecure. A household is classified as severely food insecure when at least one adult in the household has reported to have been exposed, at times during the year, to several of the most severe experiences described in the FIES questions, such as to have been forced to reduce the quantity of the food, to have skipped meals, having gone hungry, or having to go for a whole day without eating because of a lack of money or other resources.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a population-weighted average.

All 11 values

Prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 30.2% (2024)
• Algeria — 4.9% (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 11.7% (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 4.8% (2024)
• Israel — 0.7% (2024)
• Kuwait — 3.8% (2024)
• Libya — 15.1% (2024)
• Malta — 2.1% (2024)
• Pakistan — 5.5% (2024)

More health data for Small states

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 7.71% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 7.98% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 2.41 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 23.78% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 2.51 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 24.55% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 4.92 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 24.17% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 8.02% (2025)

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Questions people ask

What is Small states's prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%)?

9.58% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2014?

It is up 1.3 percentage points from 8.28% in 2014. The highest value was 9.58% in 2024 and the lowest 7.86% in 2019.

Is the latest change in prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) unusual for Small states?

In 2024, Small states' prevalence of severe food insecurity in the population (%) rose 0.43 percentage points on 2023 (from 9.15% to 9.58%). Across the 9 yearly changes before that (2015 to 2023), the average change was +0.1 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.26 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Where does this data come from?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SN.ITK.SVFI.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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