Prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male in Ghana
Ghana: Prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male was 6.6% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male in Ghana, 1988–2022
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 2022, prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male in Ghana stood at 6.6%.
The figure is down 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male in Ghana peaked at 13.1% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 4.3%, in 2014.
Ghana ranks 34th of 86 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male in Ghana, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 10.4% | — |
| 1993 | 13.1% | +26.0% |
| 1997 | 9.1% | -30.5% |
| 1998 | 11.1% | +22.0% |
| 2003 | 8.4% | -24.3% |
| 2006 | 6.6% | -21.4% |
| 2008 | 9.4% | +42.4% |
| 2011 | 7.2% | -23.4% |
| 2014 | 4.3% | -40.3% |
| 2017 | 7.8% | +81.4% |
| 2022 | 6.6% | -15.4% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 6.6% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 6.4%, 1.0× the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 6.6% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 6.5%, 1.0× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.4% | 10.4% | 10.4% | 1 |
| 1990s | 11.1% | 9.1% | 13.1% | 3 |
| 2000s | 8.1% | 6.6% | 9.4% | 3 |
| 2010s | 6.4% | 4.3% | 7.8% | 3 |
| 2020s | 6.6% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 31 Sierra Leone 7.0% compare
- 32 Tajikistan 6.9% compare
- 33 Myanmar 6.8% compare
- 35 Central African Republic 6.5% compare
- 36 Mali 6.3% compare
- 37 Togo 6.2% compare
More health data for Ghana
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.37 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6224 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 986.1 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 8,361 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.5623 % 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 0.06 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.5816 % 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 wasting, weight for height, male in Ghana?
- Prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male in Ghana was 6.6% 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 wasting, weight for height, male recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 13.1% in 1993.
- What is the lowest prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.3% in 2014.
- How does Ghana rank for prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male?
- Ghana ranks 34th out of 86 countries with data for 2022.
- Is prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana 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 wasting, weight for height, male (% of children under 5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Prevalence of wasting, male, is the proportion of boys under age 5 whose weight for height is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months.