Prevalence of wasting, weight for height (% of children under 5) in Iran

Iran: Prevalence of wasting, weight for height (% of children under 5) was 4.3% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
4.3%
World rank
48th
of 99 countries
All-time high
8.1%
in 1995
All-time low
4.0%
in 2010
Years of data
5
1995–2017

Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Iran, 1995–2017

024681995200620171995: 8.1 % of children under 51998: 6.1 % of children under 52004: 4.8 % of children under 52010: 4 % of children under 52017: 4.3 % 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

In 2017, prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Iran stood at 4.3%.

The figure is down 10.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Iran peaked at 8.1% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 4.0%, in 2010.

That places Iran 48th out of 99 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.

Prevalence of wasting, weight for height (% of children under 5) in Iran, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of wasting, weight for height (% of children under 5) in Iran, 1995 to 2017.
Year % of children under 5 Change
1995 8.1% —
1998 6.1% -24.7%
2004 4.8% -21.3%
2010 4.0% -16.7%
2017 4.3% +7.5%

Iran compared with similar countries

  • Iran's 4.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 3.0%, 1.5× the median. (28 countries reporting)
  • Iran's 4.3% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 3.5%, 1.2× the median. (16 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 7.1% 6.1% 8.1% 2
2000s 4.8% 4.8% 4.8% 1
2010s 4.2% 4.0% 4.3% 2

Countries ranked near Iran

  1. 45 Kenya 4.5% compare
  2. 46 Armenia 4.4% compare
  3. 46 Vietnam 4.4% compare
  4. 48 Cameroon 4.3% compare
  5. 50 Zambia 4.2% compare
  6. 51 Venezuela 4.1% compare

See the full ranking of 113 places →

More health data for Iran

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Iran?
Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Iran was 4.3% in 2017, 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 Iran?
The highest recorded value was 8.1% in 1995.
What is the lowest prevalence of wasting, weight for height recorded in Iran?
The lowest recorded value was 4.0% in 2010.
How does Iran rank for prevalence of wasting, weight for height?
Iran ranks 48th out of 99 countries with data for 2017.
Is prevalence of wasting, weight for height rising or falling in Iran?
Over the last ten years it is down 10.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Iran 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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Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Iran. 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 12 November 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-wasting-weight-for-height-percent-of-children-under-5/iran-islamic-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of wasting, weight for height (% 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
113 places, 1,312 data points, 1984–2024
Last refreshed

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.