Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Lao People's Democratic Republic
Lao People's Democratic Republic: Prevalence of underweight, weight for age was 24.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Lao People's Democratic Republic, 1993–2023
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
Lao People's Democratic Republic recorded 24.3% for prevalence of underweight, weight for age in 2023.
The figure is down 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Lao People's Democratic Republic peaked at 39.8% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 21.1%, in 2017.
That places Lao People's Democratic Republic 8th out of 96 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Lao People's Democratic Republic, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 39.8% | — |
| 1994 | 35.9% | -9.8% |
| 2000 | 35.6% | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 31.6% | -11.2% |
| 2011 | 26.6% | -15.8% |
| 2015 | 25.5% | -4.1% |
| 2017 | 21.1% | -17.3% |
| 2023 | 24.3% | +15.2% |
Lao People's Democratic Republic compared with similar countries
- Lao People's Democratic Republic's 24.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.6%, 2.1× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Lao People's Democratic Republic's 24.3% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 15.3%, 1.6× the median. (13 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 37.8% | 35.9% | 39.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 33.6% | 31.6% | 35.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 24.4% | 21.1% | 26.6% | 3 |
| 2020s | 24.3% | 24.3% | 24.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lao People's Democratic Republic
- 5 Burundi 28.3% compare
- 6 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 25.0% compare
- 7 Nigeria 24.4% compare
- 9 Pakistan 23.1% compare
- 10 Madagascar 22.6% compare
- 11 Mauritania 22.4% compare
More health data for Lao People's Democratic Republic
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.76 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.5667 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,260 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 317 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 15 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.5161 % 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 0.0489 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5055 % 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 underweight, weight for age in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
- Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Lao People's Democratic Republic was 24.3% 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 Lao People's Democratic Republic?
- The highest recorded value was 39.8% in 1993.
- What is the lowest prevalence of underweight, weight for age recorded in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.1% in 2017.
- How does Lao People's Democratic Republic rank for prevalence of underweight, weight for age?
- Lao People's Democratic Republic ranks 8th out of 96 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of underweight, weight for age rising or falling in Lao People's Democratic Republic?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Lao People's Democratic Republic 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.