Severe wasting in children — all countries

Severe wasting in children — Saudi Arabia

Severe wasting in children in Saudi Arabia in 2020 — 1.2%. Ranked 18 in the world out of 25. Since 2004, the indicator has fallen by 3.3 pp.

2020 1.2% +0.3 pp vs 2019
World rank 18of 25
Period maximum 4.5%2004
Period minimum 0.8%2016

Trend over time

2004–2020 · % of children under 5

Severe wasting in children — Saudi Arabia, 2004–202002462004200620082010201220142016201820202004: 4.5%2015: 1.2%2016: 0.8%2017: 1.7%2018: 1%2019: 0.9%2020: 1.2%
Change over the period: −3.3 pp Annual average: -0.21 pp

Comparison, 2020

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia 1.2%
World 1.93%
Severe wasting in children — Saudi Arabia, by year Saudi Arabia All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2020 1.2 +0.3 pp
2019 0.9 −0.1 pp
2018 1 −0.7 pp
2017 1.7 +0.9 pp
2016 0.8 −0.4 pp
2015 1.2
2004 4.5

Western Asia, 2020

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

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.