Food insecurity during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic in four African countries

• Published in: Food policy Vol. 111; p. 102306
• Main Authors: Rudin-Rush, Lorin, Michler, Jeffrey D., Josephson, Anna, Bloem, Jeffrey R.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Elsevier Ltd 01.08.2022; IPC Science and Technology Press
• Subjects: COVID-19 pandemic, Food security, Markets, Gender, Sub-Saharan Africa; F6; Q18; O2; COVID-19 pandemic, Food security, Markets, Gender, Sub-Saharan Africa; I38
• ISSN: 0306-9192; 1873-5657; 0306-9192
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foodpol.2022.102306

We document trends in food security up to one full year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in four African countries. Using household-level data collected by the World Bank, we highlight differences over time amid the pandemic, between rural and urban areas, and between female-headed and male-headed households within Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Nigeria. We first observe a sharp increase in food insecurity during the early months of the pandemic with a subsequent gradual decline. Next, we find that food insecurity has increased more in rural areas than in urban areas relative to pre-pandemic data within each of these countries. Finally, we do not find a systematic difference in changes in food insecurity between female-headed and male-headed households. These trends complement previous microeconomic analysis studying short-term changes in food security associated with the pandemic and existing macroeconomic projections. •We document trends in food security during the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.•We see a sharp increase in food insecurity during the early months of the pandemic.•Food insecurity has increased more in rural areas than in urban areas.•We find no differences in trends between female- and male-headed households.