Percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, BMI < -2 in Zambia
Zambia: Percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, BMI < -2 was 4.33 in 2022. ▼ Falling
Latest (2022)
4.33
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
87th
of 193 countries
All-time high
8.14
in 1990
All-time low
4.33
in 2022
Years of data
33
1990–2022
Percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, BMI < -2 in Zambia, 1990–2022
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
In 2022, percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, bmi < -2 in Zambia stood at 4.33. That is the lowest value across all 33 years on record.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, bmi < -2 in Zambia peaked at 8.14 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 4.33, in 2022.
Zambia ranks 87th of 193 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
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 Zambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 8.14 | — |
| 1991 | 8 | -1.7% |
| 1992 | 7.86 | -1.7% |
| 1993 | 7.73 | -1.7% |
| 1994 | 7.6 | -1.7% |
| 1995 | 7.47 | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 7.34 | -1.7% |
| 1997 | 7.2 | -1.9% |
| 1998 | 7.05 | -2.1% |
| 1999 | 6.89 | -2.3% |
| 2000 | 6.74 | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 6.58 | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 6.42 | -2.4% |
| 2003 | 6.26 | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 6.11 | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 5.97 | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 5.82 | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 5.68 | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 5.55 | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 5.42 | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 5.3 | -2.2% |
| 2011 | 5.18 | -2.3% |
| 2012 | 5.07 | -2.1% |
| 2013 | 4.96 | -2.2% |
| 2014 | 4.86 | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 4.77 | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 4.69 | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 4.61 | -1.7% |
| 2018 | 4.55 | -1.3% |
| 2019 | 4.49 | -1.3% |
| 2020 | 4.43 | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 4.38 | -1.1% |
| 2022 | 4.33 | -1.1% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 4.33 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.75, 75% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 4.33 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 7.33, 59% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.53 | 6.89 | 8.14 | 10 |
| 2000s | 6.05 | 5.42 | 6.74 | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.85 | 4.49 | 5.3 | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.38 | 4.33 | 4.43 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More health data for Zambia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.09 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7971 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 8,894 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0743 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0744 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, bmi < -2 in Zambia?
- Percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, bmi < -2 in Zambia was 4.33 in 2022, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, bmi < -2 recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 8.14 in 1990.
- What is the lowest percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, bmi < -2 recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.33 in 2022.
- How does Zambia rank for percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, bmi < -2?
- Zambia ranks 87th out of 193 countries with data for 2022.
- Is percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, bmi < -2 rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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.
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