Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Democratic Republic of the: Prevalence of underweight, weight for age was 25.0% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Congo, Democratic Republic of the, 1995–2023
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
The most recent figure for prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Congo, Democratic Republic of the is 25.0%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 6.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Congo, Democratic Republic of the peaked at 30.7% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 23.1%, in 2017.
That places Congo, Democratic Republic of the 6th out of 96 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Congo, Democratic Republic of the, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 30.7% | — |
| 2001 | 30.3% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 25.6% | -15.5% |
| 2010 | 24.2% | -5.5% |
| 2013 | 23.4% | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 23.1% | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 25.0% | +8.2% |
Congo, Democratic Republic of the compared with similar countries
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the's 25.0% is above the median for low income countries, which is 16.9%, 1.5× the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the's 25.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.3%, 1.7× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 30.7% | 30.7% | 30.7% | 1 |
| 2000s | 28.0% | 25.6% | 30.3% | 2 |
| 2010s | 23.6% | 23.1% | 24.2% | 3 |
| 2020s | 25.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Congo, Democratic Republic of the
More health data for Congo, Democratic Republic of the
- 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)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 821.4 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 133,650 deaths (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Congo, Democratic Republic of the?
- Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Congo, Democratic Republic of the was 25.0% 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 underweight, weight for age recorded in Congo, Democratic Republic of the?
- The highest recorded value was 30.7% in 1995.
- What is the lowest prevalence of underweight, weight for age recorded in Congo, Democratic Republic of the?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.1% in 2017.
- How does Congo, Democratic Republic of the rank for prevalence of underweight, weight for age?
- Congo, Democratic Republic of the ranks 6th out of 96 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of underweight, weight for age rising or falling in Congo, Democratic Republic of the?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Congo, Democratic Republic of the 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 underweight, weight for age (% of children under 5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Prevalence of underweight children is the percentage of children under age 5 whose weight for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. The data are based on the WHO's 2006 Child Growth Standards.