Underweight children — all countries

Underweight children — South Africa

Underweight children in South Africa in 2017 — 4.9%. Ranked 9 in the world out of 28. Since 1994, the indicator has fallen by 3.1 pp.

2017 4.9% −1 pp vs 2016
World rank 9of 28
Period maximum 9.8%1999
Period minimum 4.9%2017

Trend over time

1994–2017 · % of children under 5

Underweight children — South Africa, 1994–2017468101994199720002003200620092012201520171994: 8%1999: 9.8%2008: 9.1%2015: 5.7%2016: 5.9%2017: 4.9%
Change over the period: −3.1 pp Annual average: -0.13 pp

Comparison, 2017

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

South Africa 4.9%
World 13.6%
Underweight children — South Africa, by year South Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2017 4.9 −1 pp
2016 5.9 +0.2 pp
2015 5.7
2008 9.1
1999 9.8
1994 8

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.