Prevalence of wasting, weight for height, female (% of children under 5) - Country Ranking

Definition: Prevalence of wasting, female, is the proportion of girls under age 5 whose weight for height is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59.

Source: World Health Organization, Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition. Country-level data are unadjusted data from national surveys, and thus may not be comparable across countries.

See also: Thematic map, Time series comparison

Find indicator:
Rank Country Value Year
1 Djibouti 20.30 2012
2 India 16.30 2017
3 Sudan 15.70 2014
4 Sri Lanka 14.80 2016
4 Yemen 14.80 2013
6 Papua New Guinea 13.70 2010
7 Eritrea 13.40 2010
8 Somalia 12.60 2009
9 Chad 12.50 2019
10 Comoros 10.90 2012
11 Saudi Arabia 10.80 2004
12 Syrian Arab Republic 10.50 2010
13 Nepal 10.40 2019
14 Libya 10.10 2014
15 Oman 10.00 2017
16 Mauritania 9.70 2018
17 Cambodia 9.50 2014
17 Egypt 9.50 2014
19 Bangladesh 9.20 2019
19 Indonesia 9.20 2018
21 Guinea 9.10 2018
22 Niger 9.00 2019
23 Lao PDR 8.60 2017
24 Solomon Islands 8.50 2015
25 Fiji 8.20 2004
26 Malaysia 7.90 2019
26 Ukraine 7.90 2000
26 Mali 7.90 2019
29 Timor-Leste 7.70 2013
30 Congo 7.60 2014
31 Thailand 7.20 2019
32 Botswana 7.10 2007
32 Burkina Faso 7.10 2019
32 Trinidad and Tobago 7.10 2011
32 Guinea-Bissau 7.10 2019
36 Senegal 6.70 2019
37 Pakistan 6.60 2018
38 Guyana 6.20 2014
39 Philippines 6.10 2015
39 Myanmar 6.10 2018
41 Ghana 5.90 2017
42 Dem. Rep. Congo 5.80 2017
43 Ethiopia 5.50 2019
43 Bhutan 5.50 2010
43 Côte d'Ivoire 5.50 2016
46 Lebanon 5.40 2004
47 Madagascar 5.30 2018
47 Nigeria 5.30 2020
47 Namibia 5.30 2013
47 Togo 5.30 2017
51 Sierra Leone 5.20 2019
52 Tajikistan 5.00 2017
52 Armenia 5.00 2016
52 Barbados 5.00 2012
55 Suriname 4.80 2018
56 Mozambique 4.60 2015
56 Central African Republic 4.60 2019
58 Angola 4.30 2015
58 Benin 4.30 2018
60 Afghanistan 4.10 2018
60 Bulgaria 4.10 2014
60 The Gambia 4.10 2020
63 Vanuatu 4.00 2013
63 Burundi 4.00 2019
63 Czech Republic 4.00 2001
66 Iran 3.90 2010
66 Vietnam 3.90 2010
66 Kenya 3.90 2014
69 Zambia 3.70 2018
70 Equatorial Guinea 3.60 2011
70 Cameroon 3.60 2018
72 Turkmenistan 3.50 2019
73 Romania 3.40 2002
73 St. Lucia 3.40 2012
73 Kiribati 3.40 2018
76 Haiti 3.30 2017
76 North Macedonia 3.30 2019
76 Kazakhstan 3.30 2015
79 Samoa 3.20 2019
79 Liberia 3.20 2019
79 Gabon 3.20 2012
79 South Africa 3.20 2017
83 Ecuador 3.10 2019
84 Brunei 3.00 2009
84 Tanzania 3.00 2018
86 Uganda 2.90 2016
87 Zimbabwe 2.80 2019
87 Morocco 2.80 2017
87 Iraq 2.80 2018
90 Jamaica 2.70 2016
91 Algeria 2.40 2019
91 Bosnia and Herzegovina 2.40 2012
91 Jordan 2.40 2012
94 São Tomé and Principe 2.30 2019
95 Tuvalu 2.20 2007
96 Tunisia 2.10 2018
96 Kyrgyz Republic 2.10 2018
96 Nicaragua 2.10 2012
96 Azerbaijan 2.10 2013
96 Cuba 2.10 2019
101 Albania 2.00 2017
101 Dominican Republic 2.00 2013
101 Dem. People's Rep. Korea 2.00 2017
101 Kuwait 2.00 2014
105 China 1.90 2013
105 Serbia 1.90 2019
105 Montenegro 1.90 2018
108 Moldova 1.80 2012
108 Costa Rica 1.80 2018
110 Eswatini 1.70 2014
110 Lesotho 1.70 2018
110 El Salvador 1.70 2014
110 Japan 1.70 2010
114 Uzbekistan 1.60 2017
114 Turkey 1.60 2018
114 Colombia 1.60 2016
114 Brazil 1.60 2007
114 Belarus 1.60 2005
119 Belize 1.40 2015
119 Estonia 1.40 2014
119 Rwanda 1.40 2020
119 Panama 1.40 2008
119 Bolivia 1.40 2016
124 Uruguay 1.10 2018
124 Mexico 1.10 2019
126 Korea 1.00 2003
126 Argentina 1.00 2019
126 Tonga 1.00 2019
129 Paraguay 0.90 2016
129 Honduras 0.90 2012
129 Netherlands 0.90 2009
132 Mongolia 0.80 2018
132 Malawi 0.80 2019
132 Belgium 0.80 2014
132 Germany 0.80 2004
136 Poland 0.70 2011
137 Georgia 0.60 2018
138 Portugal 0.50 2016
139 Greece 0.40 2003
139 Guatemala 0.40 2015
139 Peru 0.40 2019
142 Chile 0.20 2014
143 United States 0.00 2018
143 Nauru 0.00 2007

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Aggregation method: Linear mixed-effect model estimates

Periodicity: Annual

General Comments: Undernourished children have lower resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections. Frequent illness saps the nutritional status of those who survive, locking them int