Underweight children — all countries

Underweight children — Sub-Saharan Africa

Underweight children in Sub-Saharan Africa in 2024 — 15.7%. Since 2000, the indicator has fallen by 9.1 pp.

2024 15.7% −0.3 pp vs 2023
World rank
Period maximum 24.9%2000
Period minimum 15.7%2024

Trend over time

2000–2024 · % of children under 5

Underweight children — Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–20241517.52022.5252000200320062009201220152018202120242000: 24.9%2001: 24.4%2002: 24%2003: 23.6%2004: 23.1%2005: 22.7%2006: 22.3%2007: 21.9%2008: 21.5%2009: 21.1%2010: 20.7%2011: 20.3%2012: 19.9%2013: 19.5%2014: 19.2%2015: 18.8%2016: 18.4%2017: 18.1%2018: 17.7%2019: 17.4%2020: 17.1%2021: 16.7%2022: 16.4%2023: 16.1%2024: 15.7%
Change over the period: −9.1 pp Annual average: -0.38 pp

Comparison, 2024

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

Sub-Saharan Africa 15.7%
World 12.2%
Underweight children — Sub-Saharan Africa, by year Sub-Saharan Africa All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2024 15.7 −0.3 pp
2023 16.1 −0.3 pp
2022 16.4 −0.3 pp
2021 16.7 −0.3 pp
2020 17.1 −0.3 pp
2019 17.4 −0.3 pp
2018 17.7 −0.3 pp
2017 18.1 −0.4 pp
2016 18.4 −0.4 pp
2015 18.8 −0.4 pp
2014 19.2 −0.4 pp
2013 19.5 −0.4 pp
2012 19.9 −0.4 pp
2011 20.3 −0.4 pp
2010 20.7 −0.4 pp
2009 21.1 −0.4 pp
2008 21.5 −0.4 pp
2007 21.9 −0.4 pp
2006 22.3 −0.4 pp
2005 22.7 −0.4 pp
2004 23.1 −0.4 pp
2003 23.6 −0.4 pp
2002 24 −0.4 pp
2001 24.4 −0.4 pp
2000 24.9

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.