Number of undernourished people in South Africa
South Africa: Number of undernourished people was 6.3 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Number of undernourished people in South Africa, 2001–2023
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of undernourished people in South Africa is 6.3, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 23 years on record.
The figure is up 1.6% on the previous year and up 103.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of undernourished people in South Africa peaked at 6.3 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.6, in 2004.
That places South Africa 19th out of 97 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 23 years of available data.
Number of undernourished people in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 1.7 | — |
| 2002 | 1.7 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.7 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 1.6 | -5.9% |
| 2005 | 1.6 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 1.7 | +6.2% |
| 2007 | 1.8 | +5.9% |
| 2008 | 1.8 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 2.1 | +16.7% |
| 2010 | 2.4 | +14.3% |
| 2011 | 2.6 | +8.3% |
| 2012 | 2.8 | +7.7% |
| 2013 | 3.1 | +10.7% |
| 2014 | 3.6 | +16.1% |
| 2015 | 3.7 | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 3.7 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 3.5 | -5.4% |
| 2018 | 3.7 | +5.7% |
| 2019 | 4.3 | +16.2% |
| 2020 | 5.2 | +20.9% |
| 2021 | 5.8 | +11.5% |
| 2022 | 6.2 | +6.9% |
| 2023 | 6.3 | +1.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.74 | 1.6 | 2.1 | 9 |
| 2010s | 3.34 | 2.4 | 4.3 | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.88 | 5.2 | 6.3 | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More development goals data for South Africa
- Red List Index 0.8693 (2025)
- Number of refugees per 100,000 population, by country of origin 1.8 (2025)
- Manufacturing value added per capita 651.49 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds 105 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds (not extinct) 101 (2025)
- Number of transboundary breeds with unknown risk status 33 (2025)
- Number of local breeds with unknown risk status 40 (2025)
- Number of local breeds (not extinct) 56 (2025)
- Number of local breeds kept in the country 61 (2025)
- Infant deaths 28,570 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of undernourished people in South Africa?
- Number of undernourished people in South Africa was 6.3 in 2023, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest number of undernourished people recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 6.3 in 2023.
- What is the lowest number of undernourished people recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.6 in 2004.
- How does South Africa rank for number of undernourished people?
- South Africa ranks 19th out of 97 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of undernourished people rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 103.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Number of undernourished people (millions). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).