In 2023, an estimated 10.7 percent of the global population faced severe food insecurity, up from 7.7 percent in 2014. Nearly every region in the world saw an increase in hunger, but Africa remains the hardest hit. More than 21 percent of its population is affected by severe food insecurity, making it the most impacted region globally. Between 2018 and 2022, the prevalence of severe food insecurity in Africa rose by nearly five percentage points, underscoring the urgency of addressing the crisis.

Middle Africa is the sub-region with the highest level of food insecurity in Africa. As of 2023, ** percent of the sub-region's population was food insecure. Eastern Africa followed, with a prevalence of **** percent in the same year. Furthermore, over the observed period, the prevalence of the population which had experienced hunger increased across the regions. Overall, compared to other world regions, food insecurity is very high in Africa.

According to the Global Hunger Index 2024, which was adopted by the International Food Policy Research Institute, Somalia was the most affected by hunger and malnutrition, with an index of 44.1. Yemen and Chad followed behind. The World Hunger Index combines three indicators: undernourishment, child underweight, and child mortality. Sub-Saharan Africa most affected The index is dominated by countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the region, more than one fifth of the population is undernourished . In terms of individuals, however, South Asia has the highest number of undernourished people. Globally, there are 735 million people that are considered undernourished or starving. A lack of food is increasing in over 20 countries worldwide. Undernourishment worldwide The term malnutrition includes both undernutrition and overnutrition. Undernutrition occurs when an individual cannot maintain normal bodily functions such as growth, recovering from disease, and both learning and physical work. Some conditions such as diarrhea, malaria, and HIV/AIDS can all have a negative impact on undernutrition. Rural and agricultural communities can be especially susceptible to hunger during certain seasons. The annual hunger gap occurs when a family’s food supply may run out before the next season’s harvest is available and can result in malnutrition. Nevertheless, the prevalence of people worldwide that are undernourished has decreased over the last decades, from 18.7 percent in 1990-92 to 9.2 percent in 2022, but it has slightly increased since the outbreak of COVID-19. According to the Global Hunger Index, the reduction of global hunger has stagnated over the past decade.

In 2022, Morocco was the leading country in terms of food security in North Africa, with ** points in the global food security index. The country was ranked 57th out of 113 world nations. Tunisia followed at **** index points, while Algeria and Egypt presented the highest levels of food insecurity in the region.

At *** percent, agricultural exports from West Africa represented the largest share in the global agricultural exports between 2018 and 2022, compared to the other African regions. This was closely followed by exports from East and North Africa, each with a share of *** percent. Within the said period, the continent recorded the lowest percentage of agricultural exports in the world.

Compared to the other African regions, agricultural imports into North Africa represented the largest share in the global agricultural imports between 2018 and 2022, at *** percent. This was followed by imports into West and East Africa, with shares reaching *** percent and one percent, respectively. Within the said period, the continent recorded some of the lowest percentages of agricultural imports in the world, after Oceania.

The revenue is forecast to experience significant growth in all regions in 2028. From the selected regions, the ranking by revenue in the online food delivery market is forecast to be led by the Nigeria with *** billion U.S. dollars. In contrast, the ranking is trailed by Morocco with ****** million U.S. dollars, recording a difference of *** billion U.S. dollars to the Nigeria. Find other insights concerning similar markets and segments, such as a comparison of number of users in Europe and a comparison of revenue in the Philippines. The Statista Market Insights cover a broad range of additional markets.

In a regional comparison, North American consumers are supplied with a vastly higher amount of calories than their African counterparts. Not all calories displayed here are consumed by the regional population. Loss due to waste at the retail or consumer level is included in these numbers. For most regions, the food supply per capita per day has increased since 2014. However, some regions such as Africa and South America have seen a decline and only North America has seen an increase of more than one hundred calories from 2014 to 2022.

The average per capita food consumption in the Gulf Cooperation Council in 2027 is expected to be about *** kilograms. This is a roughly 32-kilogram increase per person from 2022. Overall, food consumption per capital in the GCC is expected to rise steadily each year during this period. GCC food consumption  Historically, the per capita volume of food consumed among GCC member countries (******) has varied. Saudi Arabia, having the largest population in the GCC, makes up the greatest share of total food consumption in the council. Still, it was on the lower end of per capita consumption. Food consumption growth projections in the region differ noticeably from country to country. With growing populations and developing, and diversifying economies, food consumption is only expected to rise in the coming years. GCC food market The GCC food market revenue is worth billions each year. Although local food production is growing, most GCC member states rely on food imports to fulfill consumer demand. The distribution of food imports covers every category of food products. Additionally, multinational food conglomerates and a wide variety of Western restaurant chains have increased their footprint in the GCC. Nestled between Europe, Asia, and Africa, the GCC is well-connected and has prime access to most of the world’s fresh food supply. Nevertheless, there is also a push to be more self-sufficient. Countries like Oman, which has a strong agricultural and fishing industry, and Saudi Arabia, which has been scaling its indigenous agriculture industry, have done well in this regard. Further initiatives, such as the United Arab Emirates' cooperation with research centers in the Netherlands, are also producing promising results in innovative farming.

In 2024, Zambia had the highest ranking Global Hunger Index (GHI) within Southern African at ****, indicating a serious hunger situation. The country has experienced its worst drought in decades, which has led to food and water being scarce. South Africa scored the lowest GHI in the region, with a score of ****, representing a moderate food insecurity.

Africa produced primary crops amounting to over one billion metric tons in 2022. Roots and tubers occupied the largest proportion of the production, with Nigeria being the largest producer in the continent. Other main primary crops produced in Africa were cereals, fruits, and sugar crops.

Millions of people are at risk of starvation worldwide, many of these in countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. Across all five severity stages, Nigeria had the highest number of people at risk of starvation in 2025, with over 200 million. Almost 175 million of these fell within the two least severe stages.

As of 2023, Niger registered the agricultural sector's highest contribution to the GDP in Africa, at over ** percent. Comoros and Ethiopia followed, with agriculture, forestry, and fishing accounting for approximately ** percent and ** percent of the GDP, respectively. On the other hand, Botswana, Djibouti, Libya, Zambia, and South Africa were the African countries with the lowest percentage of the GDP generated by the agricultural sector. Agriculture remains a pillar of Africa’s economy Despite the significant variations across countries, agriculture is a key sector in Africa. In 2022, it represented around ** percent of Sub-Saharan Africa’s GDP, growing by over *** percentage points compared to 2011. The agricultural industry also strongly contributes to the continent’s job market. The number of people employed in the primary sector in Africa grew from around *** million in 2011 to *** million in 2021. In proportion, agriculture employed approximately ** percent of Africa’s working population in 2021. Agricultural activities attracted a large share of the labor force in Central, East, and West Africa, which registered percentages over the regional average. On the other hand, North Africa recorded the lowest share of employment in agriculture, as the regional economy relies significantly on the industrial and service sectors. Cereals are among the most produced crops Sudan and South Africa are the African countries with the largest agricultural areas. Respectively, they devote around *** million and **** million hectares of land to growing crops. Agricultural production varies significantly across African countries in terms of products and volume. Cereals such as rice, corn, and wheat are among the main crops on the continent, also representing a staple in most countries. The leading cereal producers are Ethiopia, Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa. Together, they recorded a cereal output of almost *** million metric tons in 2021. Additionally, rice production was concentrated in Nigeria, Egypt, Madagascar, and Tanzania.

The statistic shows the production volume of UTZ certified cocoa worldwide in 2017, by region. In 2017, the production of UTZ certified cocoa in Africa amounted to approximately 1224.47 thousand metric tons.

In 2022, the food sustainability and adaptation score for South Africa reached **** points. This was a increase compared to the prior year, when the country punctuated **** points. Overall, the food natural resources and resilience index increased during the period under review. The current overall food security environment score in the country was measured at **** points. Food affordability, availability, quality and safety, as well as sustainability and adaptation make up the four major categories of the Global Food Security Index (GFSI).

Around **** percent of all food is lost between harvest and retail worldwide. This lost food is not the only food that never reaches the consumer. Losses in retail, food service, and single households are not included. In 2020, Sub-Saharan Africa saw the biggest losses of any world region, with ***4 percent of food lost after harvest.

Between 2018 and 2022, cocoa and cocoa preparations was the most exported agricultural commodity in Africa, accounting for **** percent of Africa's share in global agricultural exports. It was followed by cotton and coffee, tea, mate, and spices, which represented **** percent and **** percent of the continent's share in the global exports, respectively.

As of 2020, Eastern Africa was expected to be the African sub-region with the highest undernourished population (***** million people), as it has been since 2000. In 2030, it is also projected to have the most undernourished people in the sub-region, followed by Western and Middle Africa with ***** million and **** million undernourished individuals, respectively. Overall, compared to other world regions, food insecurity peaked in Africa in 2020.

Between 2018 and 2022, cereals were the most imported agricultural commodity in Africa, accounting for **** percent of Africa's share in global agricultural imports. It was followed by sugars and sugar confectionery, which represented **** percent of Africa's share in the global imports. Other significantly imported commodities included animal or vegtable fats and oils and tobacco and manufactured tobacco substitutes.

China and India, the world's most populous countries in the world, were some of the largest producers of food waste, with an estimated *** million and ** million metric tons in 2022, respectively. It is estimated that per capita food waste production is highest in Western Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. Sources of food waste The global population produced approximately *********** metric tons of food waste in 2022. This represented roughly ** percent of total food made available. Household food waste was the main source of food waste that year, accounting for ** percent of the total. The second main source of food waste was the foodservice sector. Why is food waste such a problem? Food waste has many societal impacts. It not only costs the global economy hundreds of billions of dollars every year and depletes resources, but it also harms the environment and contributes to the climate crisis. When food waste is dumped at landfill sites it rots and produces large volumes of methane – a potent greenhouse gas. Food waste accounts for an estimated **** percent of global food system greenhouse gas emissions, which in 2015 totaled **** billion metric tons of CO2 equivalent.