Prevalence of underweight among adults, BMI < 18.5 in Somalia

Somalia: Prevalence of underweight among adults, BMI < 18.5 was 19 in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
19
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
7th
of 193 countries
All-time high
20.86
in 1990
All-time low
18.88
in 2016
Years of data
33
1990–2022

Prevalence of underweight among adults, BMI < 18.5 in Somalia, 1990–2022

051015201990200620221990: 20.91991: 20.81992: 20.71993: 20.71994: 20.61995: 20.61996: 20.61997: 20.51998: 20.51999: 20.42000: 20.32001: 20.32002: 20.22003: 20.12004: 202005: 19.92006: 19.82007: 19.62008: 19.52009: 19.42010: 19.32011: 19.22012: 19.12013: 192014: 18.92015: 18.92016: 18.92017: 18.92018: 18.92019: 18.92020: 18.92021: 192022: 19

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

In 2022, prevalence of underweight among adults, bmi < 18.5 in Somalia stood at 19.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 0.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of underweight among adults, bmi < 18.5 in Somalia peaked at 20.86 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 18.88, in 2016.

That places Somalia 7th out of 193 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 33 years of available data.

Prevalence of underweight among adults, BMI < 18.5 in Somalia, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of underweight among adults, BMI < 18.5 (Crude estimate) in Somalia, 1990 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1990 20.86
1991 20.79 -0.3%
1992 20.73 -0.3%
1993 20.68 -0.2%
1994 20.64 -0.2%
1995 20.6 -0.2%
1996 20.55 -0.2%
1997 20.51 -0.2%
1998 20.46 -0.2%
1999 20.4 -0.3%
2000 20.34 -0.3%
2001 20.27 -0.3%
2002 20.19 -0.4%
2003 20.1 -0.4%
2004 20 -0.5%
2005 19.89 -0.5%
2006 19.76 -0.7%
2007 19.63 -0.7%
2008 19.52 -0.6%
2009 19.41 -0.6%
2010 19.3 -0.6%
2011 19.18 -0.6%
2012 19.07 -0.6%
2013 18.98 -0.5%
2014 18.92 -0.3%
2015 18.89 -0.2%
2016 18.88 -0.1%
2017 18.89 +0.1%
2018 18.89 +0.0%
2019 18.9 +0.1%
2020 18.92 +0.1%
2021 18.96 +0.2%
2022 19 +0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 20.62 20.4 20.86 10
2000s 19.91 19.41 20.34 10
2010s 18.99 18.88 19.3 10
2020s 18.96 18.92 19 3

Countries ranked near Somalia

  1. 4 Timor-Leste 20.72 compare
  2. 5 Senegal 19.34 compare
  3. 6 Niger 19.03 compare
  4. 8 Madagascar 17.37 compare
  5. 9 South Sudan 17.1 compare
  6. 10 Sudan 16.09 compare

See the full ranking of 349 places →

More health data for Somalia

All data for Somalia →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of underweight among adults, bmi < 18.5 in Somalia?
Prevalence of underweight among adults, bmi < 18.5 in Somalia was 19 in 2022, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest prevalence of underweight among adults, bmi < 18.5 recorded in Somalia?
The highest recorded value was 20.86 in 1990.
What is the lowest prevalence of underweight among adults, bmi < 18.5 recorded in Somalia?
The lowest recorded value was 18.88 in 2016.
How does Somalia rank for prevalence of underweight among adults, bmi < 18.5?
Somalia ranks 7th out of 193 countries with data for 2022.
Is prevalence of underweight among adults, bmi < 18.5 rising or falling in Somalia?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Somalia data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Prevalence of underweight among adults, BMI < 18.5 (Crude estimate). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prevalence of underweight among adults, BMI < 18.5 in Somalia. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 10 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-underweight-among-adults-bmi-18-5-crude-estimate/somalia-fed-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of underweight among adults, BMI < 18.5 (Crude estimate)
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
349 places, 9,955 data points, 1990–2022
Last refreshed