Severe wasting in children — all countries

Severe wasting in children — Democratic Republic of the Congo

Severe wasting in children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2023 — 1.9%. Ranked 19 in the world out of 22. Since 2001, the indicator has fallen by 4.2 pp.

2023 1.9% −0.1 pp vs 2017
World rank 19of 22
Period maximum 6.1%2001
Period minimum 1.9%2023

Trend over time

2001–2023 · % of children under 5

Severe wasting in children — Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2001–202302468200120042007201020132016201920222001: 6.1%2007: 4.8%2010: 2.8%2013: 2.9%2017: 2%2023: 1.9%
Change over the period: −4.2 pp Annual average: -0.19 pp

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo 1.9%
World 1.9%
Severe wasting in children — Democratic Republic of the Congo, by year Democratic Republic of the Congo All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2023 1.9
2017 2
2013 2.9
2010 2.8
2007 4.8
2001 6.1

About the indicator

The share of children under five whose weight falls short of the WHO norm for their height by more than three standard deviations. This is a subset of wasting, its extreme degree: without treatment mortality in this group runs into the tens of percent, which is why such cases are counted as a medical emergency and are treated with special therapeutic food. The indicator is the most sensitive of the child ones: it responds to a crisis earlier than the rest.

Important: Part of the wasting indicator rather than an addition to it: the two series cannot be added. The aggregate by group is weighted by the number of children aged 0–14.

Source: Global Health Observatory (WHO), license CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.