Underweight children — all countries

Underweight children — United States

Underweight children in the United States in 2018 — 0.4%. Ranked 1 in the world out of 47. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 0.4 pp.

2018 0.4% −1 pp vs 2016
World rank 1of 47
Period maximum 1.4%2016
Period minimum 0.4%2018

Trend over time

1991–2018 · % of children under 5

Underweight children — United States, 1991–201800.511.519911994199720002003200620092012201520181991: 0.8%2000: 1.1%2002: 0.8%2004: 1.3%2006: 0.7%2008: 0.7%2010: 1%2012: 0.5%2014: 0.7%2016: 1.4%2018: 0.4%
Change over the period: −0.4 pp Annual average: -0.01 pp

Comparison, 2018

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

United States 0.4%
World 13.3%
Underweight children — United States, by year United States All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2018 0.4
2016 1.4
2014 0.7
2012 0.5
2010 1
2008 0.7
2006 0.7
2004 1.3
2002 0.8
2000 1.1
1991 0.8

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.