escasez
scarcity
scarce
not abundant
+
-ez
noun suffix (quality or state)
Escasez means scarcity and can be remembered as related to the English word scarce0 with the Spanish suffix -ez1 (indicating a quality or state1).
noun
- scarcityA situation in which something is not available in sufficient quantitiesLa sequía causó escasez de agua en la región. // The drought caused a water shortage in the region.