The World Food Security Outlook (WFSO) database, managed by the World Bank, tracks global food insecurity using historical, preliminary, and forecast data for 191 countries from 1999-2030. Food insecurity is when “people lack regular access to enough safe and nutritious food for normal growth and development and an active and healthy life”.
According to the database, Turkmenistan is the only former Soviet country with a double-digit rate of Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity. As illustrated in Figure 1, prevalence of severe food insecurity in the total population is 12.10% in Turkmenistan compared to Tajikistan – 6.7%, Uzbekistan – 4.1%, Kyrgyzstan – 1.2% and Kazakhstan – 0.9% in 2025.
Figure 1. Prevalence of Severe Food Insecurity in Central Asia (%)
Similarly, the number of severely food insecure people is 773,721 in 2025. By 2029 it is expected to reach 801,071, which means 4,373 people become severely food insecure each year over the course of 36 years (1999-2029). Severe levels of food insecurity imply a high probability of reduced food intake which can lead to severe forms of undernutrition, including hunger.
Moreover, short-term caloric needs financing was $69,620 in 2025, which is expected to go up by 32.3% by 2029.
Turkmenistan’s persistently high and rising food insecurity, coupled with increasing caloric needs financing, underscores the urgent need for targeted interventions to address the country’s growing food crisis.
