2.2.2a Prevalence of wasting among children under 5 in Nigeria

Nigeria: 2.2.2a Prevalence of wasting among children under 5 was 6.5 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
6.5
Change on year
down 4.4%
World rank
21st
of 62 countries
All-time high
11.2
in 2003
All-time low
6.5
in 2020
Years of data
7
2003–2020

2.2.2a Prevalence of wasting among children under 5 in Nigeria, 2003–2020

02.557.5102003201120202003: 11.22011: 10.22014: 7.92015: 7.32016: 10.82018: 6.82020: 6.5

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

In 2020, 2.2.2a prevalence of wasting among children under 5 in Nigeria stood at 6.5. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.

The figure is down 4.4% on the previous year and down 36.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, 2.2.2a prevalence of wasting among children under 5 in Nigeria peaked at 11.2 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 6.5, in 2020.

Nigeria ranks 21st of 62 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

2.2.2a Prevalence of wasting among children under 5 in Nigeria, year by year

Annual values for 2.2.2a Prevalence of wasting among children under 5 (%) in Nigeria, 2003 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2003 11.2
2011 10.2 -8.9%
2014 7.9 -22.5%
2015 7.3 -7.6%
2016 10.8 +47.9%
2018 6.8 -37.0%
2020 6.5 -4.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 11.2 11.2 11.2 1
2010s 8.6 6.8 10.8 5
2020s 6.5 6.5 6.5 1

Countries ranked near Nigeria

  1. 18 Ethiopia 6.8 compare
  2. 18 Ghana 6.8 compare
  3. 18 Philippines 6.8 compare
  4. 21 Guyana 6.5 compare
  5. 23 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 6.4 compare
  6. 24 Sierra Leone 6.3 compare

See the full ranking of 62 places →

More health data for Nigeria

All data for Nigeria →

Frequently asked questions

What is 2.2.2a prevalence of wasting among children under 5 in Nigeria?
2.2.2a prevalence of wasting among children under 5 in Nigeria was 6.5 in 2020, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest 2.2.2a prevalence of wasting among children under 5 recorded in Nigeria?
The highest recorded value was 11.2 in 2003.
What is the lowest 2.2.2a prevalence of wasting among children under 5 recorded in Nigeria?
The lowest recorded value was 6.5 in 2020.
How does Nigeria rank for 2.2.2a prevalence of wasting among children under 5?
Nigeria ranks 21st out of 62 countries with data for 2020.
Is 2.2.2a prevalence of wasting among children under 5 rising or falling in Nigeria?
Over the last ten years it is down 36.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Nigeria data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of 2.2.2a Prevalence of wasting among children under 5 (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

2.2.2a Prevalence of wasting among children under 5 in Nigeria. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/2-2-2a-prevalence-of-wasting-among-children-under-5-percent/nigeria/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/stat/2-2-2a-prevalence-of-wasting-among-children-under-5-percent/nigeria/">2.2.2a Prevalence of wasting among children under 5 in Nigeria</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
2.2.2a Prevalence of wasting among children under 5 (%)
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
62 places, 500 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed