List of famines

Table columns:
Date
Event
Location
Death toll (estimate)

Table rows:
cells: 2200–2100 BC
The 4.2 kiloyear event caused famines and civilizational collapse worldwide
global
cells: 441 BC
The first famine recorded in ancient Rome.
Ancient Rome[5]
cells: 26 BC
Famine recorded throughout Near East and Levant, as recorded by Josephus
Judea
20,000+
cells: 400–800 AD
Various famines in Western Europe associated with the Fall of the Western Roman Empire and its sack by Alaric I. Between 400 and 800 AD, the population of the city of Rome fell by over 90%, mainly because of famine and plague.[6]
Western Europe
cells: 535–536 AD
Extreme weather events of 535–536
global
cells: 639
Famine in Arabia during the Caliphate of Umar ibn al-Khattab[7]
Arabia
cells: 750s
Islamic Spain (Al-Andalus)[8]
cells: 800–1000
Severe drought killed millions of Maya people due to famine and thirst and initiated a cascade of internal collapses that destroyed their civilization[9]
Mayan areas of Mesoamerica
1 million+
cells: 875–84
Peasant rebellion in China inspired by famine;[10][11] Huang Chao captured capital
China
cells: 927–28
Caused by four months of frost[12][13]
Byzantine Empire
cells: 1005
England[14]
cells: 1016
Famine throughout Europe[15]
Europe
cells: 1051
Famine forced the Toltecs to migrate from a stricken region in what is now central Mexico[16]
Mexico (present day)
cells: 1064–72
Seven years' famine in Egypt [17][18]
Egypt
40,000 [17]
cells: 1097
Famine and plague [19]
France
100,000
cells: 1181
Yōwa famine (ja)
Japan
42,300
cells: 1230
Famine in the Republic of Novgorod[citation needed]
Russia
cells: 1229–32
The Kangi famine, possibly the worst famine in Japan's history.[20] Caused by volcanic eruptions.[21]
Japan
cells: 1235
Famine in England, 20,000 died in London alone[citation needed]
England
20,000
cells: 1255
Portugal[22]
cells: 1275–99
Collapse of the Anasazi civilization, widespread famine occurred[23]
United States (present day)
cells: 1315–17
Great Famine of 1315–1317
Europe[24]
cells: 1333–37
China[25]
cells: 1344–45
Famine in India, under the regime of Muhammad bin Tughluq[26]
India
cells: 1387
After Timur the Lame left Asia Minor, severe famine ensued[citation needed]
Anatolia
cells: 1396–1407
The Durga Devi famine
India[27]
cells: 1441
Famine in Mayapan
Mexico[28]
cells: 1450–54
Famine in the Aztec Empire,[29] interpreted as the gods' need for sacrifices.[30]
Mexico (present day)
cells: 1460–61
Kanshō famine in Japan[citation needed]
Japan
82,000
cells: 1504
Spain[31]
cells: 1518
Venice[citation needed]
Italy (present day)
cells: 1528
Famine in Languedoc
France[32]
cells: 1535
Famine in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
cells: 1540
Tenbun famine (ja)
Japan
cells: 1567–70
Famine in Harar, combined with plague[citation needed]. Emir of Harar died.
Ethiopia
cells: 1586
Famine in England which gave rise to the Poor Law system[citation needed]
England
cells: 1601–03
One of the worst famines in all of Russian history; famine killed as many as 100,000 in Moscow and up to one-third of Tsar Godunov's subjects; see Russian famine of 1601–1603.[33][34] Same famine killed about half Estonian population.
Russia
2 million
cells: 1618–48
Famines in Europe caused by Thirty Years' War
Europe
cells: 1619
Famine in Japan. During the Tokugawa period, there were 154 famines, of which 21 were widespread and serious.[35]
Japan
cells: 1630–31
Deccan Famine of 1630–32 (Note: There was a corresponding famine in northwestern China, eventually causing the Ming dynasty to collapse in 1644)
India
cells: 1640–43
Kan'ei Great Famine
Japan
50,000-100,000
cells: 1648–60
Poland lost an estimated 1/3 of its population due to wars, famine, and plague[citation needed]
Poland
cells: 1649
Famine in northern England [36]
England
cells: 1650–52
Famine in the east of France [37]
France
cells: 1651–53
Famine throughout much of Ireland during the Cromwellian conquest of Ireland[38]
Ireland
cells: 1661
Famine in India, due to lack of any rainfall for two years[39]
India
cells: 1670s – 80s
Plague and famines in Spain[citation needed]
Spain
cells: 1680
Famine in Sardinia[40]
Italy (present day)
80,000 [41]
cells: 1680s
Famine in Sahel[37]
cells: 1690s
Famine throughout Scotland which killed 5–15% of the population [42]
Scotland
60,000 - 180,000
cells: 1693–94
Between 1.3 and 1.5 million French died in the fr:grande famine de 1693-1694
France
1.5 million[43][44]
cells: 1695–97
Great Famine of Estonia killed about a fifth of Estonian and Livonian population (70,000–75,000 people). Famine also hit Sweden (80,000–100,000 dead)
The Swedish Empire, of which Swedish Estonia and Swedish Livonia were dominions at that time
150,000–175,000
cells: 1696–97
Great Famine of Finland wiped out almost a third of the population[45]
Finland, then part of Sweden proper
cells: 1702–04
Famine in Deccan [46]
India
2 million [46]
cells: 1708–11
Famine in East Prussia killed 250,000 people or 41% of its population[47]
East Prussia
250,000
cells: 1709–10
The fr:Grande famine de 1709
France[48]
600.000
cells: 1722
Arabia[49]
cells: 1727–28
Famine in the English Midlands[50]
England
cells: 1732–33
Kyōhō famine
Japan
12,172-169,000[51]
cells: 1738–56
Famine in West Africa, half the population of Timbuktu died of starvation[52]
West Africa
cells: 1740–41
Great Irish Famine (1740–1741)
Ireland
cells: 1750–56
Famine in the Senegambia region [53]
cells: 1764
Famine in Naples[54]
Italy (present day)
cells: 1769–73
Great Bengal famine of 1770,[55] 10 million dead (one third of population)
India, Bangladesh (present day)
10 million
cells: 1770–71
Famines in Czech lands killed hundreds of thousands people
Czech Republic (present day)
100,000+
cells: 1771–72
Famine in Saxony and southern Germany[citation needed]
Germany
cells: 1773
Famine in Sweden[56]
Sweden
cells: 1779
Famine in Rabat
Morocco[57]
cells: 1780s
Great Tenmei famine
Japan
20,000 – 920,000
cells: 1783
Famine in Iceland caused by Laki eruption killed one-fifth of Iceland's population[58]
Iceland
cells: 1783–84
Chalisa famine
India
11 million[59]
cells: 1784
Widespread famine throughout Egypt[60]
Egypt
cells: 1784–85
Famine in Tunisia killed up to one-fifth of all Tunisians[citation needed]
Tunisia
cells: 1788
The two years previous to the French Revolution saw bad harvests and harsh winters, possibly because of a strong El Niño cycle[61] or caused by the 1783 Laki eruption in Iceland.[62][63]
France
cells: 1789
Famine in Ethiopia afflicted "amhara/tigray north"
cells: 1789–92
Doji bara famine or Skull famine
India
11 million
cells: 1804-1872, 1913
A series of 14 famines in Austrian Galicia
Poland, Ukraine (present day)
400,000-550,000
cells: 1810, 1811, 1846, and 1849
Four famines in China
China
45 million.[64]
cells: 1811–12
Famine devastated Madrid[65]
Spain
20,000[66]
cells: 1815
Eruption of Tambora, Indonesia. Tens of thousands died in subsequent famine
Indonesia
10,000
cells: 1816–17
Year Without a Summer
Europe
65,000
cells: 1830–33
Claimed to have killed 42% of the population
Cape Verde
30,000[67]
cells: 1830s
Tenpo famine
Japan
cells: 1837–38
Agra famine of 1837–38
India
1 million
cells: 1845–57
Highland Potato Famine
Scotland
cells: 1845–49
Great Famine in Ireland killed more than 1 million people and over 1.5–2 million emigrated[68]
Ireland
1.5 million
cells: 1846
Famine led to the peasant revolt known as "Maria da Fonte" in the north of Portugal[citation needed]
Portugal
cells: 1849–50
Demak and Grobogan in Central Java, caused by four successive crop failures due to drought.
Indonesia
83,000[69]
cells: 1850–73
As a result of Taiping Rebellion, drought, and famine, the population of China dropped by more than 60 million[70]
China
60 million
cells: 1860–61
Upper Doab famine of 1860–61
India
2 million
cells: 1866
Orissa famine of 1866
India
1 million[71]
cells: 1866–68
Finnish famine of 1866–1868. About 15% of the entire population died
Finland, northern Sweden
150,000+
cells: 1869
Rajputana famine of 1869
India
1.5 million[71]
cells: 1870–72
Persian famine of 1870–1872
Iran (present day)
2 million[72]
cells: 1873–74
Famine in Anatolia caused by drought and floods[73][74]
Turkey (present day)
cells: 1879
1879 Famine in Ireland. Unlike previous famines, this famine mainly caused hunger and food shortages but little mortality.
Ireland
cells: 1873–74
Bihar famine of 1873–74
India
cells: 1876–79
Famine in India, China, Brazil, Northern Africa (and other countries). Famine in northern China killed 13 million people.[75] 5.25 million died in the Great Famine of 1876–78 in India
India, China, Brazil, Northern Africa (and other countries).
18.25 million in Northern China and India alone. British policies and drought were responsible for the deaths in India.[76][77] The famine in China was a result of drought influenced by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation.[78]
cells: 1878–80
Famine in St. Lawrence Island, Alaska[79]
United States
cells: 1888–89
Famine in Orrisa, Ganjam and Northern Bihar
India
cells: 1888–92
Ethiopian Great famine. About one-third of the population died.[80][81] Conditions worsen with cholera outbreaks (1889–92), a typhus epidemic, and a major smallpox epidemic (1889–90).
Ethiopia
cells: 1891–92
Russian famine of 1891–92. Beginning along the Volga River and spreading to the Urals and the Black Sea.
Russia
375,000–500,000[82][83]
cells: 1896–97
Famine in northern China leading in part to the Boxer Rebellion
China
cells: 1896–1902
Series of famines in India due to drought and British policies.[77][84][85]
India
6 million (British Territories), Mortality unknown in Princely States
cells: 1904–06
Famine in Spain.[86][87][88]
Spain
cells: 1907, 1911
Famines in east-central China
China
25 million [89]
cells: 1914–18
Mount Lebanon famine during World War I which was caused by an Entente powers and Ottoman Turk blockade of food and to a swarm of locusts which killed up to 200,000 people, estimated to be half of the Mount Lebanon population[90]
Lebanon
200,000
cells: 1914–19
Famine caused by the Allied blockade of Germany during World War I until Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles.
Germany
424,000–763,000
cells: 1916–17
Winter famine in Russia[citation needed]
Russia
cells: 1917–19
Persian famine of 1917-1918. As much as 1/4 of the population living in the north of Iran died in the famine.[91][92] Although the research of Mohammad Gholi Majd alleges as many as 8–10 million killed, this is based on an original population estimate of 19 million. Other estimates place the original population at only 11 million, calling Majd's numbers heavily into question.[93][94] The Iranian government has stated that the famine was caused by the British (this is disputed) and that 8–10 million people died, this death toll also being in the American Archives[citation needed].
Iran (present day)
As high as 8–10 million[95]
cells: 1918–19
Rumanura famine in Ruanda-Burundi, causing large migrations to the Congo
Rwanda and Burundi (present day)
cells: 1917–21
A series of famines in Turkestan at the time of the Bolshevik revolution killed about a sixth of the population[96]
Turkestan
cells: 1921
Russian famine of 1921
Russia
5 million[97]
cells: 1921–22
1921–1922 famine in Tatarstan
Russia
500,000–2,000,000[98]
cells: 1924–25
Famine in Volga German colonies in Russia. One-third of the entire population perished[99]
Russia
cells: 1924–25
Minor famine in Ireland due to heavy rain
Irish Free State
cells: 1928–29
Famine in Ruanda-Burundi, causing large migrations to the Congo
Rwanda and Burundi (present day)
a
cells: 1928–30
Famine in northern China. The drought resulted in 3 million deaths
China
3 million
cells: 1932–33
Soviet famine of 1932–1933 and Soviet-related famine in Ukraine
Soviet Union and Ukraine
7–10 million in Ukraine, millions in Russia[100]
cells: 1936
Famine in China
China
5 million[101]
cells: 1940–48
Famine in Morocco between 1940–48, because of refueling system installed by France.[102]
Morocco
200 000
cells: 1940–45
Famine in Warsaw Ghetto, as well as other ghettos and concentration camps (note: this famine was the result of deliberate denial of food to ghetto residents on the part of Nazis).
Occupied Poland
cells: 1941–44
Leningrad famine caused by a 900-day blockade by German troops. About one million Leningrad residents starved, froze, or were bombed to death in the winter of 1941–42, when supply routes to the city were cut off and temperatures dropped to −40 °C (−40 °F).[103]
Russia
1 million
cells: 1941–44
Famine in Greece caused by the Axis occupation.[104][105]
Greece
300,000
cells: 1942–43
Chinese famine of 1942–43
Henan, China
2–3 million
cells: 1943
Bengal famine of 1943
Bengal, India
1.5-2.1 million
cells: 1943
Ruzagayura famine in Ruanda-Urundi, causing emigrations to Congo
Rwanda and Burundi (present day)
cells: 1944–45
Java under Japanese occupation
Java, Indonesia
2.4 million[106]
cells: 1944
Dutch famine of 1944 during World War II
Netherlands
20,000
cells: 1944
Rwanda famine of 1944
Rwanda
cells: 1945
Vietnamese Famine of 1945
Vietnam
400,000–2 million
cells: 1947
Soviet Famine of 1947
Soviet Union
1–1.5 million[107][108]
cells: 1946-47
German "Hungerwinter"
Germany
several 100,000
cells: 1958
Famine in Tigray
Ethiopia
100,000
cells: 1959–61
The Great Chinese Famine. According to government statistics, there were 15 million excess deaths.
China
15–43 million[109]
cells: 1966–67
Lombok, drought and malnutrition, exacerbated by restrictions on regional rice trade
Indonesia
50,000[110]
cells: 1967–70
Biafran famine caused by Nigerian blockade
Nigeria
cells: 1968–72
Sahel drought created a famine that killed a million people[111]
Mauritania, Mali, Chad, Niger and Burkina Faso
1 million
cells: 1972–73
Famine in Ethiopia caused by drought and poor governance; failure of the government to handle this crisis led to the fall of Haile Selassie and to Derg rule
Ethiopia
60,000[112]
cells: 1974
Bangladesh famine of 1974
Bangladesh
27,000-1.5 million
cells: 1975–79
Khmer Rouge. An estimated 2 million Cambodians lost their lives to murder, forced labor and famine
Cambodia
2 million
cells: 1980–81
Caused by drought and conflict[112]
Uganda
30,000[112]
cells: 1984–85
1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia
Ethiopia
400,000[113]
cells: 1991–92
Famine in Somalia caused by drought and civil war[112]
Somalia
300,000[112]
cells: 1996
North Korean famine.[114][115] Scholars estimate 600,000 died of starvation (other estimates range from 200,000 to 3.5 million).[116]
North Korea
200,000 to 3.5 million
cells: 1998
1998 Sudan famine caused by war and drought
Sudan
70,000[112]
cells: 1998–2000
Famine in Ethiopia. The situation worsened by Eritrean–Ethiopian War
Ethiopia
cells: 1998–2004
Second Congo War. 3.8 million people died, mostly from starvation and disease
Democratic Republic of the Congo
3.8 million
cells: 2005–06
2005–06 Niger food crisis. At least three million were affected in Niger and 10 million throughout West Africa
Niger and West Africa
cells: 2011–12
Famine in Somalia, brought on by the 2011 East Africa drought[117]
Somalia
285,000
cells: 2012
Famine in West Africa, brought on by the 2012 Sahel drought[118]
Senegal, Gambia, Niger, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso
cells: 2016–present
Famine in Yemen, arising from the blockade of Yemen by Saudi Arabia
Yemen
At least 50,000 children[119] Unknown number of adults
cells: 2017–present
Famine in South Sudan[120]. Famine in Somalia, due to 2017 Somalian drought. Famine in Nigeria
South Sudan, Unity State, Somalia, Nigeria

Questions about this table:
originalText: when was africa had famines in the past
answer: answerTexts: 1738–56
1876–79
2005–06
2011–12
2012