Famines Please Note: Some of these famines may be partially or completely caused by humans. Rank | Death toll | Event | Location | Date | 1. | 15,000,000–43,000,000 | Great Chinese Famine | China | 1958–1961 | 2. | 24,000,000 | Chinese Famine of 1907 | China | 1907 | 3. | 19,000,000 | Indian Famine | British India | 1896–1902 | 4. | 15,000,000 | Bengal famine of 1770, incl. Bihar & Orissa | India | 1769–1771 | 5. | 13,000,000 | Northern Chinese Famine | China | 1876–1879 | 6. | 10,000,000 | Indian Great Famine of 1876–78 | India | 1876–1879 | 7. | 7,500,000 | Great European Famine | Europe (all) | 1315–1317 | 8. | 5,000,000 | Chinese Famine of 1936 | China | 1936 | 8. | 5,000,000 | Soviet famine of 1932–1933 (Holodomor) | Soviet Union | 1932–1934 | 8. | 5,000,000 | Russian famine of 1921 | Russia, Ukraine | 1921–1922 | 11. | 3,000,000 | Chinese Drought 1941 | China | 1941 | 11. | 3,000,000 | Chinese Famine of 1928–1930 | China | 1928–1930 | 13. | 2,000,000 | Russian famine of 1601–1603 | Russia (Muscovy) | 1601–1603 | 13. | 2,000,000 | Vietnamese Famine of 1945 | Vietnam | 1943–1945 | 13. | 2,000,000 | Deccan Famine of 1630–32 | India | 1630–1630 | 16. | 1,500,000–4,000,000 | Bengal Famine of 1943 | India | 1943 | 17. | 1,200,000 | North Korean famine | North Korea | 1996–1998 | 18. | 1,000,000–1,500,000 | Great Irish Famine | Ireland | 1846–1849 | 18. | 1,000,000 | 1984–1985 famine in Ethiopia | Ethiopia | 1984 | 18. | 1,000,000 | Horn of Africa famine | Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia | 1888 | 21. | 26,000–1,000,000 | Bangladesh famine of 1974—Official records claim 26,000. However, various sources claim about 1,000,000. | Bangladesh | 1974 | 22. | 150,000 | Finnish famine of 1866–1868 | Finland | 1866–1868 |
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