Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Timor-Leste
Timor-Leste: Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height was 1.5% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Timor-Leste, 2002–2020
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
Timor-Leste recorded 1.5% for prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 80.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Timor-Leste peaked at 7.6% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 2020.
That places Timor-Leste 26th out of 85 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Timor-Leste, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 4.9% | — |
| 2007 | 4.5% | -8.2% |
| 2009 | 7.6% | +68.9% |
| 2013 | 2.1% | -72.4% |
| 2014 | 2.6% | +23.8% |
| 2020 | 1.5% | -42.3% |
Timor-Leste compared with similar countries
- Timor-Leste's 1.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 1.3%, 1.2× the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Timor-Leste's 1.5% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 1.0%, 1.5× the median. (11 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.7% | 4.5% | 7.6% | 3 |
| 2010s | 2.4% | 2.1% | 2.6% | 2 |
| 2020s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Timor-Leste
- 26 Chad 1.5% compare
- 26 Egypt 1.5% compare
- 26 Guinea-Bissau 1.5% compare
- 26 Madagascar 1.5% compare
- 26 Zambia 1.5% compare
More health data for Timor-Leste
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.22 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.894 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,287 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 162 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.67 % 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 0.051 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.04 % 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 Timor-Leste?
- Prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height in Timor-Leste was 1.5% in 2020, 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 Timor-Leste?
- The highest recorded value was 7.6% in 2009.
- What is the lowest prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height recorded in Timor-Leste?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 2020.
- How does Timor-Leste rank for prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height?
- Timor-Leste ranks 26th out of 85 countries with data for 2020.
- Is prevalence of severe wasting, weight for height rising or falling in Timor-Leste?
- Over the last ten years it is down 80.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Timor-Leste 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.