Prevalence of undernourishment (%) in South Africa
South Africa: Prevalence of undernourishment (%) was 11.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of undernourishment in South Africa, 2001–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of undernourishment in South Africa stood at 11.2%. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 6.7% on the previous year and up 100.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of undernourishment in South Africa peaked at 11.2% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3.3%, in 2004.
That places South Africa 55th out of 140 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Prevalence of undernourishment (%) in South Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 3.6% | — |
| 2002 | 3.5% | -2.8% |
| 2003 | 3.4% | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 3.3% | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 3.3% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 3.3% | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 3.4% | +3.0% |
| 2008 | 3.4% | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 3.8% | +11.8% |
| 2010 | 4.1% | +7.9% |
| 2011 | 4.5% | +9.8% |
| 2012 | 4.6% | +2.2% |
| 2013 | 5.0% | +8.7% |
| 2014 | 5.6% | +12.0% |
| 2015 | 6.0% | +7.1% |
| 2016 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5.8% | -3.3% |
| 2018 | 6.1% | +5.2% |
| 2019 | 7.1% | +16.4% |
| 2020 | 8.6% | +21.1% |
| 2021 | 9.6% | +11.6% |
| 2022 | 10.2% | +6.2% |
| 2023 | 10.5% | +2.9% |
| 2024 | 11.2% | +6.7% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 11.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.1%, 2.7× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 11.2% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 18.4%, 61% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.4% | 3.3% | 3.8% | 9 |
| 2010s | 5.5% | 4.1% | 7.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.0% | 8.6% | 11.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 52 Burkina Faso 11.7% compare
- 53 Côte d'Ivoire 11.4% compare
- 53 Cote d'Ivoire 11.4% compare
- 56 Benin 11.1% compare
- 56 Lebanon 11.1% compare
- 58 Mauritania 11.0% compare
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 prevalence of undernourishment in South Africa?
- Prevalence of undernourishment in South Africa was 11.2% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 11.2% in 2024.
- What is the lowest prevalence of undernourishment recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.3% in 2004.
- How does South Africa rank for prevalence of undernourishment?
- South Africa ranks 55th out of 140 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of undernourishment rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 100.0%. 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 Prevalence of undernourishment (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).