Severe wasting in children — all countries

Severe wasting in children — United States

Severe wasting in children in the United States in 2018 — 0%. Ranked 1 in the world out of 48. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 0.1 pp.

2018 0% −0.1 pp vs 2016
World rank 1of 48
Period maximum 0.2%2006
Period minimum 0%2002

Trend over time

1991–2018 · % of children under 5

Severe wasting in children — United States, 1991–201800.050.10.150.219911994199720002003200620092012201520181991: 0.1%2000: 0.1%2002: 0%2004: 0%2006: 0.2%2008: 0.1%2010: 0%2012: 0%2014: 0%2016: 0.1%2018: 0%
Change over the period: −0.1 pp Annual average: 0 pp

Comparison, 2018

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: United States

United States 0%
World 1.97%
Severe wasting in children — United States, by year United States All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2018 0
2016 0.1
2014 0
2012 0
2010 0
2008 0.1
2006 0.2
2004 0
2002 0
2000 0.1
1991 0.1

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.