Severe wasting in children — all countries

Severe wasting in children — Middle East & North Africa

Severe wasting in children in Middle East & North Africa in 2024 — 1.98%. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 0.9 pp.

2024 1.98% −0.03 pp vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 2.88%2000
Period minimum 1.98%2024

Trend over time

2000–2024 · % of children under 5

Severe wasting in children — Middle East & North Africa, 2000–20241.7522.252.52.7532000200320062009201220152018202120242000: 2.88%2001: 2.83%2002: 2.79%2003: 2.75%2004: 2.7%2005: 2.66%2006: 2.62%2007: 2.58%2008: 2.54%2009: 2.5%2010: 2.46%2011: 2.43%2012: 2.39%2013: 2.35%2014: 2.32%2015: 2.28%2016: 2.25%2017: 2.21%2018: 2.18%2019: 2.14%2020: 2.11%2021: 2.08%2022: 2.05%2023: 2.01%2024: 1.98%
Change over the period: −0.9 pp Annual average: -0.04 pp

Comparison, 2024

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Middle East & North Africa

Middle East & North Africa 1.98%
World 1.89%
Severe wasting in children — Middle East & North Africa, by year Middle East & North Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2024 1.98 −0.03 pp
2023 2.01 −0.04 pp
2022 2.05 −0.03 pp
2021 2.08 −0.03 pp
2020 2.11 −0.03 pp
2019 2.14 −0.04 pp
2018 2.18 −0.03 pp
2017 2.21 −0.04 pp
2016 2.25 −0.03 pp
2015 2.28 −0.04 pp
2014 2.32 −0.03 pp
2013 2.35 −0.04 pp
2012 2.39 −0.04 pp
2011 2.43 −0.03 pp
2010 2.46 −0.04 pp
2009 2.5 −0.04 pp
2008 2.54 −0.04 pp
2007 2.58 −0.04 pp
2006 2.62 −0.04 pp
2005 2.66 −0.04 pp
2004 2.7 −0.05 pp
2003 2.75 −0.04 pp
2002 2.79 −0.04 pp
2001 2.83 −0.05 pp
2000 2.88

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.