Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in El Salvador
El Salvador: Prevalence of wasting, weight for height was 2.9% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in El Salvador, 1988–2021
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
In 2021, prevalence of wasting, weight for height in El Salvador stood at 2.9%. That is the highest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 81.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of wasting, weight for height in El Salvador peaked at 2.9% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 2003.
That places El Salvador 68th out of 99 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 2.2% | — |
| 1993 | 1.5% | -31.8% |
| 1998 | 1.5% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 1.3% | -13.3% |
| 2008 | 1.6% | +23.1% |
| 2014 | 2.1% | +31.2% |
| 2021 | 2.9% | +38.1% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 2.9% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.0%, 98% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 2.9% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 1.9%, 1.5× the median. (17 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 2.2% | 2.2% | 2.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.6% | 2 |
| 2010s | 2.1% | 2.1% | 2.1% | 1 |
| 2020s | 2.9% | 2.9% | 2.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
More health data for El Salvador
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.89 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4574 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,537 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 104 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.9135 % 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 0.0374 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.8849 % 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 El Salvador?
- Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in El Salvador was 2.9% 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 El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 2.9% in 2021.
- What is the lowest prevalence of wasting, weight for height recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 2003.
- How does El Salvador rank for prevalence of wasting, weight for height?
- El Salvador ranks 68th out of 99 countries with data for 2021.
- Is prevalence of wasting, weight for height rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is up 81.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this El Salvador 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.