Vietnam ranks fourth in Southeast Asia in food security

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Vietnam was ranked fourth in Southeast Asia on the Economist Intelligence Unit food security index (Photo: VNA)

A top world rice exporter, the country scored an overall 64.6 out of 100 points, higher than the 62.9 average among 113 countries and territories.

Compared to Southeast Asia peers, Vietnam was behind Singapore (1st place), Malaysia (28th) and Thailand (52nd), though ranking above Indonesia (62nd), the Philippines (64th), Myanmar (77th), Cambodia (90th) and Laos (92nd).

Vietnam did well in eight indicators - presence and quality of food safety net programmes, access to financing for farmers, change in average food costs, proportion of population under global poverty line, food safety, volatility of agricultural production, urban absorption capacity and food loss - with a score above 75.

However, it struggled in public expenditure on agricultural research and development with 1.7 points, and affordability of food with 5.3 points, which were below the world average of 5.0 and 17.8 respectively.

Singapore topped the global index ranking with an 87.4 overall score, making it the only country in Asia to finish in the top 10. Ireland and the US each earned an overall score of 84 and 83.7 to follow Singapore and complete the global top three.

Yemen, Burundi and Venezuela made up the bottom three.