Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height (% of children) in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height (% of children) was 1.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Democratic Republic of Congo, 2001–2023
Source: UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology., UN Children'. Measured in % of children under 5.
Analysis
Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 1.9% for prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.
The figure is down 34.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 6.1% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 2023.
Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 18th of 85 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height (% of children) in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 6.1% | — |
| 2007 | 4.8% | -21.3% |
| 2010 | 2.8% | -41.7% |
| 2013 | 2.9% | +3.6% |
| 2017 | 2.0% | -31.0% |
| 2023 | 1.9% | -5.0% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 1.9% is above the median for low income countries, which is 1.3%, 1.5× the median. (18 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 1.9% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.2%, 1.5× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.4% | 4.8% | 6.1% | 2 |
| 2010s | 2.6% | 2.0% | 2.9% | 3 |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
More health data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.56 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 133,650 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 390 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 2.56 % 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 0.0895 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 2.59 % 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 0.0905 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Democratic Republic of Congo was 1.9% in 2023, according to UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology., UN Children'.
- What is the highest prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 6.1% in 2001.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 2023.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 18th out of 85 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology., UN Children', published as part of Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height (% of children under 5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Prevalence of severe wasting is the proportion of children under age 5 whose weight for height is more than three standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months.