Share of food groups within the total average cost of a healthy diet (CoHD) in West Africa
Note: The figure presents the average percentage contribution of each food group to the average global cost of a healthy diet (CoHD). Togo is not included as no data are available for this country. West Africa here refers to the ECOWAS sub-region, UEMOA and CILSS member countries. Source: Bai Y., J. Bouscarat, P. Heinrigs, K. Sokourenko and K. Zougbédé (2023), “Healthy diets, costs and food policies in the Sahel and West Africa”, West African Papers, No. 39, OECD Publishing, Paris.
Poor-quality diets are at the root of all forms of malnutrition. While under- and over-nourishment are the most visible forms of malnutrition, the ‘hidden hunger’ (micronutrient deficiencies) also affects millions of people in West Africa, with major consequences for public health. High costs and unaffordability are the main barriers to accessing healthy diets. West Africans face some of the highest food prices compared to other regions at a similar level of development. Households in the region spend an average of 50% of their income on food, making them particularly sensitive to food prices and their fluctuations. Even before the recent inflation in food prices, a healthy diet was out of reach for a large share of the population.
The cost (1) of a healthy diet in West Africa is 3.6 times more expensive than a caloric adequate diet (2). More than half of the total cost of healthy diets is accounted for by vegetables and animal-sourced foods, while fruit and starchy foods each account for 17% of the cost. The two least cost-intensive food groups are legumes, nuts and seeds (6%) and oils and fats (5%).
The cost drivers of healthy diets are present throughout food supply chains and in the political economy that shapes public spending. More nutrition-sensitive investments and incentives in food systems are needed to promote the affordability of healthy diets. In particular, more investment is needed in food value chains and marketing systems for fruit, vegetables and animal-sourced foods to deliver nutritious foods to market at an affordable price.
1: The cost of a healthy diet (CoHD) indicator reflects the cost of a realistic diet with energy balance and dietary diversity between recommended food groups as well as within them – meaning that a variety of different foods should be consumed within each food group.
2: The cost of caloric adequacy (CoCA) is defined as the minimum cost required to meet day-to-day subsistence needs (2 330 kilocalories per person per day).