Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Benin
Benin: Prevalence of wasting, weight for height was 8.3% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Benin, 1996–2021
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
Benin recorded 8.3% for prevalence of wasting, weight for height in 2021.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 66.0% on the previous year and up 62.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Benin peaked at 15.0% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 4.5%, in 2014.
That places Benin 18th out of 99 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Benin, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 15.0% | — |
| 2001 | 9.0% | -40.0% |
| 2008 | 5.1% | -43.3% |
| 2014 | 4.5% | -11.8% |
| 2018 | 5.0% | +11.1% |
| 2021 | 8.3% | +66.0% |
Benin compared with similar countries
- Benin's 8.3% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.1%, 1.6× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Benin's 8.3% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.6%, 1.5× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.0% | 15.0% | 15.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 7.0% | 5.1% | 9.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 4.8% | 4.5% | 5.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 8.3% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 16 Maldives 9.1% compare
- 17 Indonesia 8.4% compare
- 18 Timor-Leste 8.3% compare
- 20 Côte d'Ivoire 8.1% compare
- 21 Burundi 7.8% compare
- 21 Chad 7.8% compare
- 21 Guinea-Bissau 7.8% compare
More health data for Benin
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.1 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8458 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,002 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 13,632 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 21 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.21 % 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 0.0741 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.24 % 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 in Benin?
- Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Benin was 8.3% in 2021, 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 recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 15.0% in 1996.
- What is the lowest prevalence of wasting, weight for height recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.5% in 2014.
- How does Benin rank for prevalence of wasting, weight for height?
- Benin ranks 18th out of 99 countries with data for 2021.
- Is prevalence of wasting, weight for height rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 62.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Benin 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 (% of children under 5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Prevalence of wasting is the proportion of children 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.