Severe wasting in children — all countries

Severe wasting in children — Sub-Saharan Africa

Severe wasting in children in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024 — 1.3%. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 1.78 pp.

2024 1.3% −0.05 pp vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 3.08%2000
Period minimum 1.3%2024

Trend over time

2000–2024 · % of children under 5

Severe wasting in children — Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–202411.522.533.52000200320062009201220152018202120242000: 3.08%2001: 2.98%2002: 2.87%2003: 2.77%2004: 2.67%2005: 2.58%2006: 2.49%2007: 2.4%2008: 2.32%2009: 2.23%2010: 2.16%2011: 2.08%2012: 2.01%2013: 1.94%2014: 1.87%2015: 1.8%2016: 1.74%2017: 1.68%2018: 1.62%2019: 1.56%2020: 1.5%2021: 1.45%2022: 1.4%2023: 1.35%2024: 1.3%
Change over the period: −1.78 pp Annual average: -0.07 pp

Comparison, 2024

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Sub-Saharan Africa

Sub-Saharan Africa 1.3%
World 1.89%
Severe wasting in children — Sub-Saharan Africa, by year Sub-Saharan Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2024 1.3 −0.05 pp
2023 1.35 −0.05 pp
2022 1.4 −0.05 pp
2021 1.45 −0.05 pp
2020 1.5 −0.06 pp
2019 1.56 −0.06 pp
2018 1.62 −0.06 pp
2017 1.68 −0.06 pp
2016 1.74 −0.06 pp
2015 1.8 −0.07 pp
2014 1.87 −0.07 pp
2013 1.94 −0.07 pp
2012 2.01 −0.07 pp
2011 2.08 −0.08 pp
2010 2.16 −0.07 pp
2009 2.23 −0.09 pp
2008 2.32 −0.08 pp
2007 2.4 −0.09 pp
2006 2.49 −0.09 pp
2005 2.58 −0.09 pp
2004 2.67 −0.1 pp
2003 2.77 −0.1 pp
2002 2.87 −0.11 pp
2001 2.98 −0.1 pp
2000 3.08

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.