Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Kenya
Kenya: Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height was 0.6% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Kenya, 1993–2022
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
The most recent figure for prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Kenya is 0.6%, measured in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
The figure is down 68.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Kenya peaked at 3.0% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 0.6%, in 2022.
That places Kenya 62nd out of 85 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Kenya, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 2.6% | — |
| 1994 | 2.4% | -7.7% |
| 1998 | 3.0% | +25.0% |
| 2000 | 2.9% | -3.3% |
| 2003 | 2.4% | -17.2% |
| 2005 | 2.4% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 2.1% | -12.5% |
| 2011 | 1.9% | -9.5% |
| 2014 | 1.0% | -47.4% |
| 2016 | 2.3% | +130.0% |
| 2022 | 0.6% | -73.9% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 0.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.3%, 46% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 0.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.2%, 48% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.7% | 2.4% | 3.0% | 3 |
| 2000s | 2.5% | 2.1% | 2.9% | 4 |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 1.0% | 2.3% | 3 |
| 2020s | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 62 Azerbaijan 0.6% compare
- 62 Gambia 0.6% compare
- 62 Türkiye 0.6% compare
- 62 Palestine, State of 0.6% compare
More health data for Kenya
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6026 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,119 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 16,059 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 89 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.28 % 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 0.0621 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.28 % 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 prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Kenya?
- Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Kenya was 0.6% in 2022, 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 3.0% in 1998.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.6% in 2022.
- How does Kenya rank for prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height?
- Kenya ranks 62nd out of 85 countries with data for 2022.
- Is prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 68.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya 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.