Severe wasting in children — all countries

Severe wasting in children — Latin America & Caribbean

Severe wasting in children in Latin America & Caribbean in 2024 — 0.27%. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 0.3 pp.

2024 0.27% −0.01 pp vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 0.57%2000
Period minimum 0.27%2024

Trend over time

2000–2024 · % of children under 5

Severe wasting in children — Latin America & Caribbean, 2000–20240.20.30.40.50.62000200320062009201220152018202120242000: 0.57%2001: 0.55%2002: 0.53%2003: 0.51%2004: 0.5%2005: 0.48%2006: 0.47%2007: 0.45%2008: 0.44%2009: 0.42%2010: 0.41%2011: 0.4%2012: 0.39%2013: 0.37%2014: 0.36%2015: 0.35%2016: 0.34%2017: 0.33%2018: 0.32%2019: 0.31%2020: 0.3%2021: 0.29%2022: 0.28%2023: 0.28%2024: 0.27%
Change over the period: −0.3 pp Annual average: -0.01 pp

Comparison, 2024

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Latin America & Caribbean

Latin America & Caribbean 0.27%
World 1.89%
Severe wasting in children — Latin America & Caribbean, by year Latin America & Caribbean All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2024 0.27 −0.01 pp
2023 0.28 +0 pp
2022 0.28 −0.01 pp
2021 0.29 −0.01 pp
2020 0.3 −0.01 pp
2019 0.31 −0.01 pp
2018 0.32 −0.01 pp
2017 0.33 −0.01 pp
2016 0.34 −0.01 pp
2015 0.35 −0.01 pp
2014 0.36 −0.01 pp
2013 0.37 −0.02 pp
2012 0.39 −0.01 pp
2011 0.4 −0.01 pp
2010 0.41 −0.01 pp
2009 0.42 −0.02 pp
2008 0.44 −0.01 pp
2007 0.45 −0.02 pp
2006 0.47 −0.01 pp
2005 0.48 −0.02 pp
2004 0.5 −0.01 pp
2003 0.51 −0.02 pp
2002 0.53 −0.02 pp
2001 0.55 −0.02 pp
2000 0.57

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.