Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Malaysia
Malaysia: Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) was 5.3% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
5.3%
Change on year
down 1.9%
World rank
88th
of 162 countries
All-time high
6.2%
in 2010
All-time low
5.3%
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024
Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Malaysia, 2000–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Malaysia is 5.3%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 13.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Malaysia peaked at 6.2% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 5.3%, in 2024.
That places Malaysia 88th out of 162 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.5% | — |
| 2001 | 5.6% | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 5.7% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 5.7% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 5.8% | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 5.9% | +1.7% |
| 2006 | 6.0% | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 6.1% | +1.7% |
| 2009 | 6.1% | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6.2% | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6.2% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6.1% | -1.6% |
| 2015 | 6.1% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 6.0% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 6.0% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5.9% | -1.7% |
| 2019 | 5.8% | -1.7% |
| 2020 | 5.7% | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 5.6% | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 5.5% | -1.8% |
| 2023 | 5.4% | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 5.3% | -1.9% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 5.3% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 7.5%, 71% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 5.3% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 5.5%, 96% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.8% | 5.5% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.1% | 5.8% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.5% | 5.3% | 5.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 86 Sierra Leone 5.4% compare
- 86 Netherlands 5.4% compare
- 88 Congo 5.3% compare
- 90 Jamaica 5.1% compare
- 90 Rwanda 5.1% compare
More health data for Malaysia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.9119 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.2888 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,250 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 652 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 18 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.7207 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0297 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5991 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Malaysia?
- Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Malaysia was 5.3% in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.2% in 2010.
- What is the lowest overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.3% in 2024.
- How does Malaysia rank for overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%)?
- Malaysia ranks 88th out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
- Is overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Overweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (% weight-for-height >+2 SD), model-based estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).