The prevalence of undernourishment indicator provides only a partial picture of the food security situation. Recognizing this, FAO has compiled a preliminary set of food security indicators, available for most countries and years, to contribute to a more comprehensive assessment of the multiple dimensions and manifestations of food insecurity and to effective policies for more effective interventions and responses.
Depth of the food deficit (kilocalories per person per day) - THIS INDICATOR IS DISCONTINUED
Please note that this indicator has been discontinued. The depth of the food deficit indicates how many calories would be needed to lift the undernourished from their status, everything else being constant. The average intensity of food deprivation of the undernourished, estimated as the difference between the average dietary energy requirement and the average dietary energy consumption of the undernourished population (food-deprived), is multiplied by the number of undernourished to provide an estimate of the total food deficit in the country, which is then normalized by the total population.
The indicator is calculated as an average over 3 years.