Prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male (% of children under 5) in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male (% of children under 5) was 15.3% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male in Sri Lanka, 1987–2016
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 wasting, weight for height, male in Sri Lanka is 15.3%, measured in 2016.
The figure is down 7.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male in Sri Lanka peaked at 22.1% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 12.1%, in 2009.
That places Sri Lanka 3rd out of 86 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top 10%.
Prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male (% of children under 5) in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 15.4% | — |
| 1993 | 16.2% | +5.2% |
| 2000 | 16.6% | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 16.5% | -0.6% |
| 2009 | 12.1% | -26.7% |
| 2012 | 22.1% | +82.6% |
| 2016 | 15.3% | -30.8% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 15.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 2.8%, 5.6× the median. (24 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 15.3% is above the median for South Asia, which is 10.3%, 1.5× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 15.4% | 15.4% | 15.4% | 1 |
| 1990s | 16.2% | 16.2% | 16.2% | 1 |
| 2000s | 15.1% | 12.1% | 16.6% | 3 |
| 2010s | 18.7% | 15.3% | 22.1% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More health data for Sri Lanka
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.62 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7332 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 304 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.13 % 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 0.0339 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.12 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0353 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male in Sri Lanka?
- Prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male in Sri Lanka was 15.3% in 2016, 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 Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 22.1% in 2012.
- What is the lowest prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.1% in 2009.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male?
- Sri Lanka ranks 3rd out of 86 countries with data for 2016.
- Is prevalence of wasting, weight for height, male rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sri Lanka 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.