Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Nigeria
Nigeria: Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height was 3.1% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Nigeria, 1990–2021
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
Nigeria recorded 3.1% for prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in 2021.
That represents a change of up 121.4% on the previous year and unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Nigeria peaked at 4.7% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 1.4%, in 2020.
That places Nigeria 3rd out of 85 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 4.4% | — |
| 2003 | 4.7% | +6.8% |
| 2011 | 3.1% | -34.0% |
| 2014 | 1.8% | -41.9% |
| 2015 | 1.8% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 2.9% | +61.1% |
| 2018 | 1.8% | -37.9% |
| 2020 | 1.4% | -22.2% |
| 2021 | 3.1% | +121.4% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 3.1% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.3%, 2.4× the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 3.1% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.2%, 2.5× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.4% | 4.4% | 4.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 4.7% | 4.7% | 4.7% | 1 |
| 2010s | 2.3% | 1.8% | 3.1% | 5 |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 1.4% | 3.1% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 1 India 7.5% compare
- 2 Yemen 5.2% compare
- 3 Oman 3.1% compare
- 5 Lao People's Democratic Republic 2.7% compare
- 6 Mauritania 2.6% compare
More health data for Nigeria
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8137 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,301 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 257,921 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 14 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.14 % 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 0.0711 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.17 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Nigeria?
- Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Nigeria was 3.1% in 2021, 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 4.7% in 2003.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.4% in 2020.
- How does Nigeria rank for prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height?
- Nigeria ranks 3rd out of 85 countries with data for 2021.
- Is prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria 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.