Percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, BMI < -2 standard deviations below the median (crude estimate) by country
Countries reporting
193
Highest
20.99
India
Lowest
0.5
Tonga
Median
3.69
Years covered
33
1990–2022
Data points
9,957
What the numbers show
Percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, BMI < -2 standard deviations below the median (crude estimate) is currently reported for 193 countries. The highest value is 20.99 in India; the lowest is 0.5 in Tonga.
The median across all reporting countries is 3.69, and the mean is 5.13.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 42.
Over the past decade 112 countries rose and 81 fell. The largest increase was in Albania (up 76.2%), and the largest decrease in Sierra Leone (down 38.0%).
Percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, BMI < -2: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 20.99 | 2022 | down 20.2% | falling |
| 2 | Timor-Leste | 17.29 | 2022 | up 20.2% | rising |
| 3 | Sri Lanka | 17.16 | 2022 | down 17.6% | falling |
| 4 | Pakistan | 16.45 | 2022 | down 17.5% | falling |
| 5 | Senegal | 16.32 | 2022 | down 1.4% | falling |
| 6 | Bangladesh | 16.19 | 2022 | down 19.0% | falling |
| 7 | Niger | 16.11 | 2022 | up 5.0% | falling |
| 8 | Ethiopia | 14.6 | 2022 | down 14.9% | falling |
| 9 | Yemen | 14.52 | 2022 | down 7.7% | flat |
| 10 | Sudan | 14.38 | 2022 | up 0.1% | falling |
| 11 | Nigeria | 14.14 | 2022 | up 17.2% | falling |
| 12 | Maldives | 12.22 | 2022 | down 22.8% | falling |
| 13 | Eritrea | 11.97 | 2022 | down 9.4% | falling |
| 14 | Myanmar | 11.23 | 2022 | down 9.5% | falling |
| 15 | Burkina Faso | 10.84 | 2022 | up 6.3% | falling |
| 16 | Nepal | 10.56 | 2022 | down 24.0% | falling |
| 17 | Gambia | 10.44 | 2022 | up 3.8% | falling |
| 18 | Viet Nam | 10.08 | 2022 | down 31.2% | falling |
| 19 | Philippines | 10.06 | 2022 | down 0.9% | flat |
| 20 | Iran, Islamic Republic of | 10.05 | 2022 | up 15.9% | falling |
| 21 | Mauritania | 10 | 2022 | down 5.2% | falling |
| 22 | Mali | 9.99 | 2022 | down 4.7% | falling |
| 23 | Chad | 9.72 | 2022 | down 1.6% | falling |
| 24 | Namibia | 9.57 | 2022 | down 12.4% | falling |
| 25 | Botswana | 9.48 | 2022 | down 10.1% | falling |
| 26 | Saudi Arabia | 9.34 | 2022 | down 4.7% | rising |
| 27 | Trinidad and Tobago | 9.33 | 2022 | down 4.6% | falling |
| 28 | Korea, Democratic People's Republic of | 9.2 | 2022 | down 5.0% | falling |
| 29 | Cape Verde | 9.19 | 2022 | down 0.5% | falling |
| 30 | Mauritius | 9.16 | 2022 | down 9.1% | falling |
| 31 | Indonesia | 9.15 | 2022 | down 10.1% | falling |
| 32 | Ghana | 8.34 | 2022 | up 4.5% | falling |
| 33 | Malaysia | 8.25 | 2022 | up 3.4% | falling |
| 34 | Kenya | 8.21 | 2022 | down 7.8% | falling |
| 35 | Thailand | 8.2 | 2022 | up 9.0% | falling |
| 36 | Guinea | 8.16 | 2022 | up 1.5% | falling |
| 37 | Tajikistan | 8.15 | 2022 | up 31.7% | rising |
| 38 | Burundi | 8.12 | 2022 | up 2.1% | falling |
| 39 | Cambodia | 7.92 | 2022 | down 2.5% | falling |
| 40 | Afghanistan | 7.85 | 2022 | down 30.8% | falling |
| 40 | Central African Republic | 7.85 | 2022 | down 10.1% | falling |
| 40 | Equatorial Guinea | 7.85 | 2022 | down 9.2% | falling |
| 43 | Guyana | 7.76 | 2022 | up 1.8% | falling |
| 44 | Guinea-Bissau | 7.68 | 2022 | down 2.4% | falling |
| 45 | Tanzania, United Republic of | 7.57 | 2022 | up 15.2% | falling |
| 46 | Madagascar | 7.36 | 2022 | down 7.0% | falling |
| 47 | Congo | 7.29 | 2022 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 48 | Djibouti | 7.24 | 2022 | down 4.7% | falling |
| 49 | Somalia | 7.14 | 2022 | down 5.3% | falling |
| 50 | Uganda | 7.06 | 2022 | up 6.6% | falling |
| 51 | Côte d'Ivoire | 7.04 | 2022 | up 4.5% | falling |
| 52 | South Sudan | 6.92 | 2022 | down 5.1% | falling |
| 53 | Angola | 6.64 | 2022 | down 11.2% | falling |
| 54 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 6.59 | 2022 | down 24.5% | falling |
| 55 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 6.51 | 2022 | down 1.7% | falling |
| 56 | Cuba | 6.43 | 2022 | up 14.8% | flat |
| 57 | Oman | 6.35 | 2022 | down 20.5% | falling |
| 58 | Comoros | 6.13 | 2022 | down 7.7% | falling |
| 59 | Liberia | 6.01 | 2022 | down 0.7% | falling |
| 60 | Ukraine | 5.93 | 2022 | up 41.9% | rising |
| 61 | Benin | 5.91 | 2022 | down 7.8% | falling |
| 62 | Qatar | 5.79 | 2022 | up 3.8% | falling |
| 63 | Gabon | 5.74 | 2022 | down 6.5% | falling |
| 63 | Seychelles | 5.74 | 2022 | down 8.6% | falling |
| 65 | Zimbabwe | 5.58 | 2022 | down 17.1% | falling |
| 66 | Rwanda | 5.49 | 2022 | down 14.6% | falling |
| 67 | Togo | 5.43 | 2022 | down 13.0% | falling |
| 68 | Bhutan | 5.32 | 2022 | down 37.6% | falling |
| 69 | Turkmenistan | 5.31 | 2022 | up 16.2% | falling |
| 70 | Kazakhstan | 5.23 | 2022 | up 45.7% | rising |
| 71 | Dominican Republic | 5.18 | 2022 | up 14.9% | rising |
| 72 | Bahrain | 5.1 | 2022 | down 15.1% | falling |
| 73 | Lesotho | 5.07 | 2022 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 74 | Syrian Arab Republic | 5.02 | 2022 | down 5.6% | falling |
| 75 | Azerbaijan | 5.01 | 2022 | up 30.5% | flat |
| 76 | Romania | 4.94 | 2022 | up 7.4% | falling |
| 77 | Suriname | 4.86 | 2022 | up 9.2% | falling |
| 78 | Tunisia | 4.83 | 2022 | down 6.9% | falling |
| 79 | Cameroon | 4.74 | 2022 | down 3.5% | falling |
| 79 | Libya | 4.74 | 2022 | down 4.8% | falling |
| 81 | Sao Tome and Principe | 4.68 | 2022 | up 1.5% | falling |
| 82 | Mozambique | 4.63 | 2022 | up 26.8% | falling |
| 83 | Barbados | 4.56 | 2022 | up 7.3% | falling |
| 84 | Fiji | 4.47 | 2022 | down 33.1% | falling |
| 85 | North Macedonia | 4.44 | 2022 | up 21.6% | flat |
| 86 | Grenada | 4.38 | 2022 | up 7.6% | falling |
| 87 | Zambia | 4.33 | 2022 | down 14.6% | falling |
| 88 | Haiti | 4.17 | 2022 | down 2.3% | falling |
| 89 | Algeria | 4 | 2022 | down 6.5% | falling |
| 90 | Morocco | 3.97 | 2022 | down 13.9% | falling |
| 91 | Saint Lucia | 3.94 | 2022 | up 4.5% | falling |
| 92 | Bahamas | 3.8 | 2022 | up 11.1% | falling |
| 93 | Eswatini | 3.77 | 2022 | up 4.1% | falling |
| 94 | Armenia | 3.73 | 2022 | up 49.8% | rising |
| 95 | Mongolia | 3.72 | 2022 | up 27.4% | falling |
| 95 | Palestine, State of | 3.72 | 2022 | down 5.6% | falling |
| 97 | Bulgaria | 3.69 | 2022 | up 27.7% | rising |
| 98 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 3.68 | 2022 | up 7.6% | falling |
| 98 | Uzbekistan | 3.68 | 2022 | up 17.2% | falling |
| 100 | China | 3.65 | 2022 | down 25.1% | falling |
| 101 | Brunei Darussalam | 3.61 | 2022 | down 11.7% | falling |
| 101 | Dominica | 3.61 | 2022 | up 12.1% | falling |
| 101 | France | 3.61 | 2022 | up 38.8% | rising |
| 104 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 3.59 | 2022 | up 10.8% | falling |
| 105 | Slovakia | 3.56 | 2022 | up 25.8% | rising |
| 106 | Iraq | 3.52 | 2022 | down 9.3% | falling |
| 106 | Kyrgyzstan | 3.52 | 2022 | up 8.3% | falling |
| 108 | Jordan | 3.5 | 2022 | down 13.8% | falling |
| 109 | United Arab Emirates | 3.44 | 2022 | down 14.0% | falling |
| 110 | Sierra Leone | 3.41 | 2022 | down 38.0% | falling |
| 111 | Russian Federation | 3.34 | 2022 | down 3.5% | falling |
| 112 | Czechia | 3.32 | 2022 | up 27.7% | rising |
| 112 | South Africa | 3.32 | 2022 | down 28.0% | volatile |
| 114 | Republic of Moldova | 3.3 | 2022 | up 15.0% | falling |
| 115 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 3.23 | 2022 | down 3.3% | falling |
| 116 | Egypt | 3.22 | 2022 | up 8.8% | falling |
| 117 | Malawi | 3.2 | 2022 | down 2.4% | falling |
| 118 | Cyprus | 3.13 | 2022 | up 50.5% | rising |
| 118 | El Salvador | 3.13 | 2022 | up 28.3% | falling |
| 120 | Kuwait | 3.12 | 2022 | down 3.7% | falling |
| 120 | Singapore | 3.12 | 2022 | down 0.3% | falling |
| 122 | Antigua and Barbuda | 3.08 | 2022 | up 11.2% | falling |
| 123 | Hungary | 3.07 | 2022 | up 29.5% | rising |
| 124 | Belize | 3.03 | 2022 | up 10.2% | falling |
| 125 | Israel | 3.02 | 2022 | up 10.2% | rising |
| 126 | Poland | 2.94 | 2022 | up 5.8% | falling |
| 127 | Georgia | 2.93 | 2022 | up 5.4% | falling |
| 128 | Albania | 2.89 | 2022 | up 76.2% | rising |
| 129 | Costa Rica | 2.77 | 2022 | up 13.1% | falling |
| 130 | Honduras | 2.73 | 2022 | up 21.3% | falling |
| 131 | Denmark | 2.7 | 2022 | up 52.5% | rising |
| 132 | Brazil | 2.66 | 2022 | down 1.1% | falling |
| 132 | Lithuania | 2.66 | 2022 | up 7.3% | falling |
| 134 | Belarus | 2.64 | 2022 | up 7.8% | falling |
| 135 | Andorra | 2.6 | 2022 | up 28.7% | rising |
| 136 | Jamaica | 2.57 | 2022 | up 53.9% | rising |
| 137 | Ecuador | 2.53 | 2022 | up 58.1% | flat |
| 137 | Marshall Islands | 2.53 | 2022 | up 15.5% | rising |
| 137 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 2.53 | 2022 | up 14.5% | falling |
| 140 | Malta | 2.35 | 2022 | up 31.3% | rising |
| 141 | Japan | 2.31 | 2022 | up 1.3% | rising |
| 142 | Lebanon | 2.29 | 2022 | up 3.2% | falling |
| 143 | Panama | 2.28 | 2022 | up 16.9% | falling |
| 144 | Belgium | 2.27 | 2022 | up 20.1% | rising |
| 145 | Montenegro | 2.26 | 2022 | up 24.9% | falling |
| 145 | Paraguay | 2.26 | 2022 | up 0.4% | falling |
| 147 | Mexico | 2.24 | 2022 | up 29.5% | falling |
| 148 | Argentina | 2.23 | 2022 | up 29.7% | falling |
| 148 | Vanuatu | 2.23 | 2022 | up 2.3% | falling |
| 150 | Guatemala | 2.18 | 2022 | up 74.4% | rising |
| 151 | Italy | 2.17 | 2022 | up 66.9% | rising |
| 152 | Republic of Korea | 2.14 | 2022 | up 22.3% | falling |
| 153 | Iceland | 2.11 | 2022 | up 18.5% | rising |
| 154 | Colombia | 2.1 | 2022 | down 9.1% | falling |
| 155 | Portugal | 2.02 | 2022 | up 65.6% | rising |
| 156 | Papua New Guinea | 1.99 | 2022 | up 1.5% | falling |
| 156 | Türkiye | 1.99 | 2022 | down 13.9% | falling |
| 158 | Latvia | 1.95 | 2022 | up 9.6% | falling |
| 159 | Austria | 1.94 | 2022 | up 4.3% | rising |
| 160 | Luxembourg | 1.93 | 2022 | up 17.7% | rising |
| 160 | Serbia | 1.93 | 2022 | down 19.2% | falling |
| 162 | Solomon Islands | 1.89 | 2022 | up 0.5% | falling |
| 162 | Slovenia | 1.89 | 2022 | up 29.5% | rising |
| 164 | Finland | 1.84 | 2022 | up 15.0% | rising |
| 165 | Germany | 1.8 | 2022 | up 21.6% | rising |
| 166 | Estonia | 1.78 | 2022 | down 4.8% | falling |
| 166 | Sweden | 1.78 | 2022 | up 4.7% | rising |
| 168 | Canada | 1.74 | 2022 | up 41.5% | rising |
| 168 | Palau | 1.74 | 2022 | down 12.1% | falling |
| 170 | Tuvalu | 1.72 | 2022 | up 13.9% | falling |
| 171 | Croatia | 1.67 | 2022 | down 5.1% | falling |
| 172 | Switzerland | 1.66 | 2022 | up 11.4% | rising |
| 173 | Australia | 1.56 | 2022 | up 13.0% | rising |
| 173 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 1.56 | 2022 | up 7.6% | rising |
| 175 | Spain | 1.49 | 2022 | up 36.7% | falling |
| 175 | Norway | 1.49 | 2022 | up 27.4% | rising |
| 177 | Ireland | 1.46 | 2022 | up 41.7% | rising |
| 178 | Peru | 1.39 | 2022 | up 18.8% | falling |
| 179 | Netherlands | 1.35 | 2022 | down 12.3% | falling |
| 180 | United States of America | 1.31 | 2022 | up 10.1% | falling |
| 181 | Uruguay | 1.3 | 2022 | up 2.4% | falling |
| 182 | Greece | 1.25 | 2022 | down 6.0% | falling |
| 183 | Bolivia, Plurinational State of | 1.22 | 2022 | up 18.4% | falling |
| 184 | Samoa | 1.07 | 2022 | up 16.3% | flat |
| 185 | Kiribati | 1.05 | 2022 | up 22.1% | falling |
| 186 | Tokelau | 1.04 | 2022 | up 14.3% | falling |
| 187 | Chile | 1.02 | 2022 | up 32.5% | falling |
| 188 | Micronesia, Federated States of | 0.96 | 2022 | up 23.1% | flat |
| 189 | New Zealand | 0.95 | 2022 | up 9.2% | falling |
| 190 | Naoero | 0.89 | 2022 | up 27.1% | falling |
| 191 | Cook Islands | 0.88 | 2022 | up 18.9% | falling |
| 192 | Niue | 0.74 | 2022 | up 5.7% | falling |
| 193 | Tonga | 0.5 | 2022 | up 42.9% | flat |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- South Asia (World Bank regions) 20.21
- South-East Asia (WHO regions) 19.52
- South Asia (UNICEF Prog.regions) 19.27
- Asia Meridional 19.27
- ESCAP_SAARC (SAARC) 19.27
- Southern Asia (UNSDG) 18.94
- Central and Southern Asia (UNSDG) 18.41
- ESCAP_South and South-West Asia (SSWA) 18.35
- ESCAP_WB Lower Middle Income Economies 17.97
- World Bank (lower middle income) 15
- ESCAP_LDC (LDC_E) 12.8
- (SDGRC) ESCWA_Arab LDCs subregion 12.78
- (SDGRC) ECA_Sahel 12.69
- UNICEF SP High burden 12.35
- Asia (UNSDG) 12.27
- ESCAP_All countries 12.25
- Western Africa (African Union) 12.03
- (SDGRC) West Africa 12.03
- Western Africa (UNSDG) 12.01
- Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) 11.93
- (SDGRC) ECA_ECOWAS 11.93
- (SDGRC) ESCWA_Arab Low-Income Countries (LICs) 11.6
- Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) 11.37
- (SDGRC) ECA_IGAD 11.37
- UNICEF SP Humanitarian 11.29
- ESCAP_Countries with Special Needs 10.73
- West and Central Africa (UNICEF Prog.regions) 10.54
- África Occidental y Central 10.54
- (SDGRC) ECA_Land-locked LDCs 10.49
- Eastern Mediterranean (WHO regions) 10.31
- Community of Sahel-Saharan States (CEN-SAD) 10.31
- (SDGRC) ECA_CEN-SAD 10.31
- Eastern Africa (African Union) 10.29
- (SDGRC) ECA_Land-locked countries 10.25
- Países menos adelantados 10.12
- Middle East and North Africa (World Bank regions) 9.71
- SDG regions - Global (UNSDG) 9.59
- Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions) 9.56
- África Subsahariana 9.56
- (SDGRC) ECA_Sub-Saharan Africa 9.56