List of famines


This is a list of famines.
DateEventLocationDeath toll
2200–2100 BCEThe 4.2 kiloyear event caused famines and civilizational collapse worldwideglobal
441 BCEThe first famine recorded in ancient Rome.Ancient Rome
26 BCEFamine recorded throughout Near East and Levant, as recorded by JosephusJudea20000+
370 CEFamine in PhrygiaPhrygia
372–373Famine in EdessaEdessa
400–800Various 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.Western Europe
470FamineGaul
535–536Extreme weather events of 535–536global
585FamineGaul
639Famine in Arabia during the Caliphate of Umar ibn al-KhattabArabia
750sIslamic Spain
779FamineFrancia
792–793FamineFrancia
800–1000Severe drought killed millions of Maya people due to famine and thirst and initiated a cascade of internal collapses that destroyed their civilizationMayan areas of Mesoamerica1000000+
805–806FamineFrancia
875–884Peasant rebellion in China inspired by famine; Huang Chao captured capitalChina
927–928Caused by four months of frostByzantine Empire
963–969FamineEgypt
1005–1006Europe
1016Famine throughout EuropeEurope
1025FamineEgypt
1051Famine forced the Toltecs to migrate from a stricken region in what is now central MexicoMexico
1055–1056FamineEgypt
1064–1072Seven years' famine in EgyptEgypt40000
1069–1070Harrying of the NorthEngland100000
1097Famine and plagueFrance100000
1124–1126FamineEurope
1143–1147FamineEurope
1150–1151FamineEurope
1161–1162FamineAquitaine
1181Yōwa famineJapan42300
1196–1197FamineEurope
1199–1202FamineEgypt100000
1224–1226FamineEurope
1230Famine in the Republic of NovgorodRussia
1230–1231The Kanki famine, possibly the worst famine in Japan's history. Caused by volcanic eruptions.Japan2000000
1235Famine in England, 20,000 died in London aloneEngland20000
1256–1258Famine in Italy, Spain, Portugal and EnglandEurope
1264FamineEgypt
1275–1277FamineItaly
1275–1299Collapse of the Anasazi civilization, widespread famine occurredUnited States
1285–1286FamineItaly
1294FamineEgypt
1302–1303Famine in Spain and ItalyEurope
1304FamineFrance
1305FamineFrance
1310FamineFrance
1315–1317Great Famine of 1315–1317Europe7500000
1321FamineEngland
1328–1330Famine in Italy, Spain and IrelandEurope
1330–1333FamineFrance
1333–1337Chinese famine of 1333–1337China
1339–1340Famine in Italy, Spain and IrelandEurope
1344–1345Famine in India, under the regime of Muhammad bin TughluqIndia
1346–1347Famine in France, Italy and SpainEurope
1349–1351FamineFrance
1351FamineEngland
1358–1360FamineFrance
1369FamineEngland
1371FamineFrance
1374–1375Famine in France, Italy and SpainEurope
1374–1375FamineEgypt
1387After Timur the Lame left Asia Minor, severe famine ensuedAnatolia
1390–1391FamineFrance
1394–1396FamineEgypt
1396–1407The Durga Devi famineIndia
1403–1404FamineEgypt
1432–1434The Hungry YearsCzech Republic
1437–1438Famine in France, Holy Roman Empire, and BritainEurope
1441Famine in MayapanMexico
1450–1454Famine in the Aztec Empire, interpreted as the gods' need for sacrifices.Mexico
1460–1461Kanshō famine in JapanJapan82000
1472–1474FamineItaly
1476FamineItaly
1482–1484FamineItaly
1493FamineItaly
1502–1505FamineItaly
1504Spain
1518VeniceItaly
1521–1523Famine in the Low Countries, Ireland and the Nordic CountriesEurope
1527–1530FamineItaly
1528Famine in LanguedocFrance
1533–1534FamineItaly
1535Famine in EthiopiaEthiopia
1539–1540FamineItaly
1540Japan
1544–1545FamineItaly
1550–1552FamineItaly
1558–1560FamineItaly
1567–1570Famine in Harar, combined with plague. Emir of Harar died.Ethiopia
1569–1574Pan-European famine, including Italy, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Low Countries, Nordic Countries, Russia and mostly east off UkraineEurope
1585–1587Pan-European famine, including Italy, France, Low Countries, Britain and IrelandEurope
1590–1598Pan-European famine, including Italy, Spain, France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Britain and the Nordic countriesEurope
1600–1601Famine in Emilia and southern LombardyItaly
1601–1603One of the worst famines in all of Russian history, with as many as 100,000 in Moscow and up to one-third of Tsar Godunov's subjects killed; see Russian famine of 1601–03. The same famine killed about half of the Estonian population.Russia2000000
1607–1608FamineItaly
1618–1648Famines in Europe caused by Thirty Years' WarEurope
1618–1622FamineItaly
1619Famine in Japan. During the Tokugawa period, there were 154 famines, of which 21 were widespread and serious.Japan
1628–1632FamineItaly
1630–1632Deccan Famine of 1630–32India7400000
1630–1631Famine in north-west ChinaChina
1640–1643Kan'ei Great FamineJapan50000-100000
1648–1649FamineItaly
1648–1660Poland lost an estimated 1/3 of its population due to wars, famine, and plaguePoland
1649Famine in northern EnglandEngland
1650–1652Famine in the east of FranceFrance
1651–1653Famine throughout much of Ireland during the Cromwellian conquest of IrelandIreland
1661Famine in India, due to lack of any rainfall for two yearsIndia
1670s – 1680sPlague and famines in SpainSpain
1670–1671Kyungshin FamineKorea
1672Famine in southern ItalyItaly
1678–1679FamineItaly
1680Famine in SardiniaItaly 80000
1680sFamine in SahelWest Africa
1690sFamine throughout Scotland which killed 5–15% of the populationScotland60000–180000
1693–1694Between 1.3 and 1.5 million French died in the :fr:grande famine de 1693-1694France1300000
1693–1695FamineItaly
1695–1697Great Famine of Estonia killed about a fifth of Estonian and Livonian population. Famine also hit Sweden The Swedish Empire, of which Swedish Estonia and Swedish Livonia were dominions at that time150000–175000
1696–1697Great Famine of Finland wiped out almost a third of the populationFinland, then part of Sweden proper150000
1702–1704Famine in DeccanIndia2000000
1708–1711Famine in East Prussia killed 250,000 people or 41% of its populationEast Prussia250000
1709FamineItaly
1709–1710The :fr:Grande famine de 1709France600000
1716FamineItaly
1722Arabia
1724FamineItaly
1727–1728Famine in the English MidlandsEngland
1732–1733Kyōhō famineJapan12172–169000
1738–1756Famine in West Africa, half the population of Timbuktu died of starvationWest Africa
1740–1741Irish Famine Ireland
1750–1756Famine in the Senegambia regionSenegal, Gambia
1764Famine in NaplesItaly
1767FamineItaly
1769–1773Great Bengal famine of 1770, 10 million dead India, Bangladesh 10000000
1770–1771Famines in Czech lands killed hundreds of thousands peopleCzech Republic 100000+
1771–1772Famine in Saxony and southern GermanyGermany
1773Famine in SwedenSweden
1779Famine in RabatMorocco
1780sGreat Tenmei famineJapan20000 – 920000
1783Famine in Iceland caused by Laki eruption killed one-fifth of Iceland's populationIceland
1783–1784Chalisa famineIndia11000000
1784Widespread famine throughout EgyptEgypt
1784–1785Famine in TunisiaTunisia
1788The two years previous to the French Revolution saw bad harvests and harsh winters, possibly because of a strong El Niño cycle or caused by the 1783 Laki eruption in Iceland.France
1789Famine in Ethiopia afflicted "amhara/tigray north"Ethiopia
1789–1793Doji bara famine or Skull famineIndia11000000
1801FamineItaly
1804-1872, 1913A series of 14 famines in Austrian GaliciaPoland, Ukraine 400000-550000
1810, 1811, 1846, and 1849Four famines in ChinaChina45000000
1811–1812Famine devastated MadridSpain20000
1815Eruption of Tambora, Indonesia. Tens of thousands died in subsequent famineIndonesia10000
1816–1817Year Without a SummerEurope65000
1830–1833Claimed to have killed 42% of the populationCape Verde30000
1833–1837Tenpo famineJapan
1837–1838Agra famine of 1837–38India800000
1845–1857Highland Potato FamineScotland
1845–1849Great Famine in Ireland killed more than 1 million people. Between 1.5–2 million people forced to emigrateIreland1000000
1846Famine led to the peasant revolt known as "Maria da Fonte" in the north of PortugalPortugal
1849–1850Demak and Grobogan in Central Java, caused by four successive crop failures due to drought.Indonesia83000
1850–1873As a result of Taiping Rebellion, drought, and famine, the population of China dropped by more than 20 millionChina20000000
1860–1861Upper Doab famine of 1860–61India2000000
1863–1867Famine in Cape VerdeCape Verde30000
1866Orissa famine of 1866India1000000
1866–1868Finnish famine of 1866–1868. About 15% of the entire population diedFinland150000+
1866–1868Famine in French AlgeriaFrench Algeria820000
1867–1869Swedish famine of 1867–1869.Sweden
1869Rajputana famine of 1869India1500000
1870–1872Persian famine of 1870–1872Iran200000-3000000 Estimates vary
1873–1874Famine in Anatolia caused by drought and floodsTurkey
1873–1874Bihar famine of 1873–74India
1876–1879Famine in India, China, Brazil, Northern Africa. Famine in northern China killed 9–13 million people. 5.5 million died in the Great Famine of 1876–78 in India. 500,000 died in Brazil. British policies and drought were responsible for the deaths in India. The famine in China was a result of drought influenced by the El Niño-Southern Oscillation.India, China, Brazil, Northern Africa.15000000–19000000 in Northern China, India and Brazil.
1878–1880St. Lawrence Island famine, AlaskaUnited States1000
18791879 Famine in Ireland. Unlike previous famines, this famine mainly caused hunger and food shortages but little mortality.Ireland
1888–1889Famine in Orrisa, Ganjam and Northern BiharIndia150000
1888–1892Ethiopian Great famine. About one-third of the population died. Conditions worsen with cholera outbreaks, a typhus epidemic, and a major smallpox epidemic.Ethiopia1000000
1891–1892Russian famine of 1891–92. Beginning along the Volga River and spreading to the Urals and the Black Sea.Russia375000–500000
1895–1898Famine during the Cuban War of IndependenceCuba200000–300000
1896–1897Famine in northern China leading in part to the Boxer RebellionChina
1896–1902Indian famine of 1896–97 and Indian famine of 1899–1900 due to drought and British policies.India2000000, Mortality unknown in Princely States
1900–1903Famine in Cape VerdeCape Verde11000–20000
1904–1906Famine in Spain.Spain
1907, 1911Famines in east-central ChinaChina25000000
1914–1918Mount 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 populationLebanon200000
1914–1919Famine caused by the Allied blockade of Germany during World War I until Germany signed the Treaty of Versailles.Germany200 000= 424000

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