Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Tanzania, United Republic of

Tanzania, United Republic of: Prevalence of underweight, weight for age was 11.4% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
11.4%
Change on year
up 5.6%
World rank
42nd
of 96 countries
All-time high
26.8%
in 1996
All-time low
10.8%
in 2021
Years of data
13
1991–2022

Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Tanzania, United Republic of, 1991–2022

01020301991200620221991: 24.8 % of children under 51996: 26.8 % of children under 51999: 25.3 % of children under 52004: 16.7 % of children under 52009: 16.4 % of children under 52010: 16.1 % of children under 52011: 14.1 % of children under 52013: 13.1 % of children under 52014: 13.4 % of children under 52015: 13.7 % of children under 52018: 14.6 % of children under 52021: 10.8 % of children under 52022: 11.4 % of children under 5

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

Tanzania, United Republic of recorded 11.4% for prevalence of underweight, weight for age in 2022.

The figure is up 5.6% on the previous year and down 19.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Tanzania, United Republic of peaked at 26.8% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 10.8%, in 2021.

That places Tanzania, United Republic of 42nd out of 96 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.

Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Tanzania, United Republic of, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of underweight, weight for age (% of children under 5) in Tanzania, United Republic of, 1991 to 2022.
Year % of children under 5 Change
1991 24.8%
1996 26.8% +8.1%
1999 25.3% -5.6%
2004 16.7% -34.0%
2009 16.4% -1.8%
2010 16.1% -1.8%
2011 14.1% -12.4%
2013 13.1% -7.1%
2014 13.4% +2.3%
2015 13.7% +2.2%
2018 14.6% +6.6%
2021 10.8% -26.0%
2022 11.4% +5.6%

Tanzania, United Republic of compared with similar countries

  • Tanzania, United Republic of's 11.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.6%, 98% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
  • Tanzania, United Republic of's 11.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.3%, 80% of the median. (34 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 25.6% 24.8% 26.8% 3
2000s 16.5% 16.4% 16.7% 2
2010s 14.2% 13.1% 16.1% 6
2020s 11.1% 10.8% 11.4% 2

Countries ranked near Tanzania, United Republic of

  1. 40 Zambia 11.8% compare
  2. 41 Gambia 11.6% compare
  3. 43 Oman 11.2% compare
  4. 44 Cameroon 11.0% compare
  5. 45 Liberia 10.9% compare

See the full ranking of 110 places →

More health data for Tanzania, United Republic of

All data for Tanzania, United Republic of →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Tanzania, United Republic of?
Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Tanzania, United Republic of was 11.4% in 2022, 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 Tanzania, United Republic of?
The highest recorded value was 26.8% in 1996.
What is the lowest prevalence of underweight, weight for age recorded in Tanzania, United Republic of?
The lowest recorded value was 10.8% in 2021.
How does Tanzania, United Republic of rank for prevalence of underweight, weight for age?
Tanzania, United Republic of ranks 42nd out of 96 countries with data for 2022.
Is prevalence of underweight, weight for age rising or falling in Tanzania, United Republic of?
Over the last ten years it is down 19.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Tanzania, United Republic of 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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Prevalence of underweight, weight for age in Tanzania, United Republic of. Statizoid, drawing on 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'. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-underweight-weight-for-age-percent-of-children-under-5/tanzania/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of underweight, weight for age (% of children under 5)
Unit
% of children under 5
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'
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
110 places, 1,307 data points, 1984–2024
Last refreshed

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.