Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Myanmar
Myanmar: Prevalence of underweight, weight for age was 19.5% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Myanmar, 1990–2018
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
In 2018, prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Myanmar stood at 19.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.4% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Myanmar peaked at 38.7% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 18.5%, in 2016.
Myanmar ranks 15th of 96 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.
Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Myanmar, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 32.5% | — |
| 1991 | 37.0% | +13.8% |
| 1994 | 31.2% | -15.7% |
| 1995 | 38.7% | +24.0% |
| 1997 | 28.1% | -27.4% |
| 2000 | 30.0% | +6.8% |
| 2003 | 29.2% | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 22.6% | -22.6% |
| 2016 | 18.5% | -18.1% |
| 2018 | 19.5% | +5.4% |
Myanmar compared with similar countries
- Myanmar's 19.5% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.6%, 1.7× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Myanmar's 19.5% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 15.3%, 1.3× the median. (13 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 33.5% | 28.1% | 38.7% | 5 |
| 2000s | 27.3% | 22.6% | 30.0% | 3 |
| 2010s | 19.0% | 18.5% | 19.5% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
- 12 Bangladesh 21.7% compare
- 13 Ethiopia 21.2% compare
- 14 Benin 19.6% compare
- 16 Guinea-Bissau 18.8% compare
- 17 Afghanistan 18.4% compare
- 17 Central African Republic 18.4% compare
More health data for Myanmar
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.11 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.1576 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,398 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 2,973 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.759 % 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 0.0387 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.8351 % 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 Myanmar?
- Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Myanmar was 19.5% in 2018, 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 Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 38.7% in 1995.
- What is the lowest prevalence of underweight, weight for age recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.5% in 2016.
- How does Myanmar rank for prevalence of underweight, weight for age?
- Myanmar ranks 15th out of 96 countries with data for 2018.
- Is prevalence of underweight, weight for age rising or falling in Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Myanmar 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.