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Underweight children

The share of children under 5 whose weight is insufficient for their age.

Unit: % of children under 5 Period: 1983–2024 Source: Global Health Observatory (WHO)
Source: WHO · About the indicator
Average: 9.1% Countries: 162

The ranking uses the latest available value for each country — the year is shown in the row. The table spans 1995 to 2024.

Underweight children, 1995–2024

Top-20 · % of children under 5

Underweight children, 1995–20240204060YemenYemen: 40.7%40.7EritreaEritrea: 39.4%39.4NigerNiger: 34.6%34.6SudanSudan: 33%33Timor-LesteTimor-Leste: 31.9%31.9IndiaIndia: 31.5%31.5BurundiBurundi: 28.3%28.3Papua New GuineaPapua New Guinea: 27.8%27.8South SudanSouth Sudan: 27.7%27.7Democratic Republic of …Democratic Republic of the Congo: 25%25NigeriaNigeria: 24.4%24.4LaosLaos: 24.3%24.3PakistanPakistan: 23.1%23.1MadagascarMadagascar: 22.6%22.6SomaliaSomalia: 22.5%22.5MauritaniaMauritania: 22.4%22.4BangladeshBangladesh: 21.7%21.7EthiopiaEthiopia: 21.2%21.2BeninBenin: 19.6%19.6MyanmarMyanmar: 19.5%19.5
Underweight children — 1995–2024 Current breakdown Full series CSV XLSX JSON
# Year Subregion World rank
1 YE Yemen 40.7 2022 162
2 ER Eritrea 39.4 2010 161
3 NE Niger 34.6 2022 160
4 SD Sudan 33 2014 159
5 TL Timor-Leste 31.9 2020 158
6 IN India 31.5 2020 157
7 BI Burundi 28.3 2024 156
8 PG Papua New Guinea 27.8 2010 155
9 SS South Sudan 27.7 2010 154
10 CD Democratic Republic of the Congo 25 2023 153
11 NG Nigeria 24.4 2021 152
12 LA Laos 24.3 2023 151
13 PK Pakistan 23.1 2018 150
14 MG Madagascar 22.6 2021 149
15 SO Somalia 22.5 2009 148
16 MR Mauritania 22.4 2022 147
17 BD Bangladesh 21.7 2022 146
18 ET Ethiopia 21.2 2019 145
19 BJ Benin 19.6 2021 144
20 MM Myanmar 19.5 2018 143
21 AO Angola 19 2015 142
22 GW Guinea-Bissau 18.8 2019 141
23 AF Afghanistan 18.4 2022 139
24 CF Central African Republic 18.4 2022 139
25 NP Nepal 18.3 2022 138
26 TD Chad 18.2 2022 137
27 DJ Djibouti 17.7 2023 136
28 LK Sri Lanka 17.1 2024 135
29 BF Burkina Faso 16.9 2021 134
30 PH Philippines 16.7 2021 133
31 KH Cambodia 16.3 2021 132
32 SN Senegal 16.2 2023 130
33 SB Solomon Islands 16.2 2015 130
34 ID Indonesia 15.9 2023 129
35 MZ Mozambique 15.4 2022 128
36 MY Malaysia 15.3 2022 127
37 TG Togo 15.2 2017 126
38 GN Guinea 15 2022 124
39 ML Mali 15 2024 124
40 MV Maldives 14.8 2017 123
41 GT Guatemala 14.4 2021 122
42 CI Côte d'Ivoire 13.6 2021 121
43 NA Namibia 13.2 2013 120
44 MU Mauritius 13 1995 119
45 MW Malawi 12.8 2020 118
46 LS Lesotho 12.5 2024 117
47 CG Republic of the Congo 12.3 2014 116
48 GH Ghana 12 2022 114
49 SL Sierra Leone 12 2021 114
50 MH Marshall Islands 11.9 2017 113
51 BW Botswana 11.8 2007 111
52 ZM Zambia 11.8 2018 111
53 VU Vanuatu 11.7 2013 110
54 GM Gambia 11.6 2020 109
55 TZ Tanzania 11.4 2022 108
56 OM Oman 11.2 2017 107
57 CM Cameroon 11 2018 106
58 LR Liberia 10.9 2019 105
59 HT Haiti 10.7 2023 104
60 SY Syria 10.4 2010 103
61 KE Kenya 9.8 2022 102
62 BN Brunei Darussalam 9.7 2009 99
63 UG Uganda 9.7 2022 99
64 VN Vietnam 9.7 2023 99
65 ZW Zimbabwe 9.6 2024 98
66 GY Guyana 9.4 2019 97
67 KP North Korea 9.3 2017 96
68 KM Comoros 9.1 2022 95
69 BT Bhutan 8.7 2023 94
70 RW Rwanda 7.7 2020 93
71 BH Bahrain 7.6 1995 92
72 HN Honduras 7.1 2019 91
73 KI Kiribati 6.9 2018 90
74 SR Suriname 6.7 2018 88
75 TH Thailand 6.7 2022 88
76 GQ Equatorial Guinea 5.6 2011 87
77 GA Gabon 5.4 2020 85
78 ST Sao Tome and Principe 5.4 2019 85
79 TJ Tajikistan 5.2 2023 84
80 LB Lebanon 5.1 2023 83
81 SV El Salvador 5 2021 81
82 SZ Eswatini 5 2021 81
83 EC Ecuador 4.9 2024 78
84 ZA South Africa 4.9 2017 78
85 TT Trinidad and Tobago 4.9 2011 78
86 BZ Belize 4.6 2015 75
87 FJ Fiji 4.6 2021 75
88 NI Nicaragua 4.6 2012 75
89 IR Iran 4.3 2017 73
90 LY Libya 4.3 2022 73
91 MX Mexico 4.2 2022 72
92 UA Ukraine 4.1 2000 71
93 IQ Iraq 3.9 2018 70
94 NR Nauru 3.8 2023 68
95 SC Seychelles 3.8 2012 68
96 CO Colombia 3.7 2016 65
97 EG Egypt 3.7 2021 65
98 ME Montenegro 3.7 2018 65
99 BB Barbados 3.5 2012 61
100 BR Brazil 3.5 2019 61
101 RO Romania 3.5 2002 61
102 SA Saudi Arabia 3.5 2020 61
103 BO Bolivia 3.4 2016 58
104 JP Japan 3.4 2010 58
105 WS Samoa 3.4 2019 58
106 SG Singapore 3.3 2000 57
107 TM Turkmenistan 3.1 2019 56
108 AZ Azerbaijan 3 2023 53
109 DO Dominican Republic 3 2019 53
110 MA Morocco 3 2019 53
111 CR Costa Rica 2.9 2018 48
112 KG Kyrgyzstan 2.9 2023 48
113 PA Panama 2.9 2019 48
114 TV Tuvalu 2.9 2019 48
115 VE Venezuela 2.9 2009 48
116 KW Kuwait 2.8 2023 46
117 LC Saint Lucia 2.8 2012 46
118 DZ Algeria 2.7 2019 44
119 PE Peru 2.7 2023 44
120 AM Armenia 2.6 2016 43
121 JM Jamaica 2.5 2018 41
122 JO Jordan 2.5 2023 41
123 CN China 2.4 2013 39
124 CU Cuba 2.4 2019 39
125 QA Qatar 2.3 2023 38
126 CV Cabo Verde 2.2 2018 36
127 MD Moldova 2.2 2012 36
128 CZ Czechia 2.1 2001 33
129 GE Georgia 2.1 2018 33
130 PS Palestine 2.1 2020 33
131 AR Argentina 2 2018 31
132 KZ Kazakhstan 2 2015 31
133 MN Mongolia 1.9 2023 30
134 UY Uruguay 1.8 2018 28
135 UZ Uzbekistan 1.8 2021 28
136 BG Bulgaria 1.7 2014 27
137 BA Bosnia and Herzegovina 1.6 2012 25
138 TN Tunisia 1.6 2018 25
139 AL Albania 1.5 2017 23
140 TR Türkiye 1.5 2018 23
141 BY Belarus 1.3 2005 21
142 PY Paraguay 1.3 2016 21
143 LT Lithuania 1.1 2021 20
144 NL Netherlands 1 2009 18
145 RS Serbia 1 2019 18
146 MK North Macedonia 0.9 2019 16
147 PT Portugal 0.9 2016 16
148 TO Tonga 0.8 2019 15
149 MT Malta 0.7 2022 13
150 PL Poland 0.7 2018 13
151 DE Germany 0.6 2016 11
152 GB United Kingdom 0.6 2019 11
153 AU Australia 0.5 2007 7
154 CL Chile 0.5 2014 7
155 GR Greece 0.5 2003 7
156 IE Ireland 0.5 2011 7
157 EE Estonia 0.4 2014 3
158 KR South Korea 0.4 2020 3
159 TC Turks and Caicos Islands 0.4 2020 3
160 US United States 0.4 2018 3
161 BE Belgium 0.3 2023 1
162 LV Latvia 0.3 2021 1
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Maximum 40.7%
Median 5%
Minimum 0.3%
World 12.2%

About the indicator

The share of children under the age of five whose weight is more than two standard deviations below the median of the WHO growth standards. The indicator reflects a combination of chronic and acute undernutrition and remains one of the most accurate indicators of poverty: it depends little on the methodology of income accounting.

Updates
annually
Unit of measurement
% of children under 5
Observation period
1983–2024
License
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO
Dataset
Global Health Observatory

Related indicators

Nutrition 1983–2024 Stunting in children

The share of children under five whose height is markedly below the norm for their age.

% of children under 5 46 countries WHO Nutrition 1983–2024 Wasting in children

The share of children under five whose weight is markedly below the norm for their height.

% of children under 5 46 countries WHO Nutrition 2001–2023 Prevalence of undernourishment

The share of the population whose calorie intake is below the minimum requirement.

% of population 165 countries FAO Mortality 1960–2024 Under-five mortality rate

The probability of dying before the fifth birthday — per 1,000 live births.

per 1,000 live births 196 countries WHO
All indicators in Nutrition