Percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, BMI < -2 in India
India: Percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, BMI < -2 was 20.99 in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
20.99
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
1st
of 193 countries
All-time high
36.71
in 1990
All-time low
20.99
in 2022
Years of data
33
1990–2022
Percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, BMI < -2 in India, 1990–2022
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
In 2022, percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, bmi < -2 in India stood at 20.99. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 20.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, bmi < -2 in India peaked at 36.71 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 20.99, in 2022.
That places India 1st out of 193 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.
Percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, BMI < -2 in India, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 36.71 | — |
| 1991 | 36.4 | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 36.09 | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 35.77 | -0.9% |
| 1994 | 35.44 | -0.9% |
| 1995 | 35.08 | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 34.68 | -1.1% |
| 1997 | 34.24 | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 33.74 | -1.5% |
| 1999 | 33.19 | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 32.61 | -1.7% |
| 2001 | 31.99 | -1.9% |
| 2002 | 31.34 | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 30.68 | -2.1% |
| 2004 | 30.05 | -2.1% |
| 2005 | 29.46 | -2.0% |
| 2006 | 28.93 | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 28.44 | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 28 | -1.5% |
| 2009 | 27.57 | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 27.15 | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 26.73 | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 26.29 | -1.6% |
| 2013 | 25.83 | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 25.35 | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 24.83 | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 24.28 | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 23.72 | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 23.16 | -2.4% |
| 2019 | 22.6 | -2.4% |
| 2020 | 22.05 | -2.4% |
| 2021 | 21.52 | -2.4% |
| 2022 | 20.99 | -2.5% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 20.99 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.75, 3.7× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- India's 20.99 is above the median for South Asia, which is 14.21, 1.5× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 35.13 | 33.19 | 36.71 | 10 |
| 2000s | 29.91 | 27.57 | 32.61 | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.99 | 22.6 | 27.15 | 10 |
| 2020s | 21.52 | 20.99 | 22.05 | 3 |
Countries ranked near India
More health data for India
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.12 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4372 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 44,822 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 38 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.3809 % 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 0.0372 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5922 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.04 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, bmi < -2 in India?
- Percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, bmi < -2 in India was 20.99 in 2022, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, bmi < -2 recorded in India?
- The highest recorded value was 36.71 in 1990.
- What is the lowest percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, bmi < -2 recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.99 in 2022.
- How does India rank for percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, bmi < -2?
- India ranks 1st out of 193 countries with data for 2022.
- Is percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, bmi < -2 rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, BMI < -2 standard deviations below the median (crude estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).