Underweight children — all countries

Underweight children — Nigeria

Underweight children in Nigeria in 2021 — 24.4%. Ranked 28 in the world out of 30. Since 1990, the indicator has fallen by 8.7 pp.

2021 24.4% +6 pp vs 2020
World rank 28of 30
Period maximum 35.1%1993
Period minimum 18.4%2020

Trend over time

1990–2021 · % of children under 5

Underweight children — Nigeria, 1990–20211520253035401990199419982002200620102014201820211990: 33.1%1993: 35.1%2003: 26.7%2011: 24.2%2014: 20.6%2015: 19.5%2016: 31.5%2018: 21.8%2020: 18.4%2021: 24.4%
Change over the period: −8.7 pp Annual average: -0.28 pp

Comparison, 2021

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

Nigeria 24.4%
World 12.7%
Underweight children — Nigeria, by year Nigeria All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2021 24.4 +6 pp
2020 18.4
2018 21.8
2016 31.5 +12 pp
2015 19.5 −1.1 pp
2014 20.6
2011 24.2
2003 26.7
1993 35.1
1990 33.1

Western Africa, 2021

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

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.

Source: Global Health Observatory (WHO), license CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.