Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Myanmar
Myanmar: Prevalence of wasting, weight for height was 7.4% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Myanmar, 1991–2018
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 in Myanmar is 7.4%, measured in 2018.
That represents a change of up 12.1% on the previous year and down 6.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Myanmar peaked at 12.7% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 6.6%, in 2016.
That places Myanmar 24th out of 99 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.
Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Myanmar, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 12.7% | — |
| 1994 | 9.2% | -27.6% |
| 1997 | 9.6% | +4.3% |
| 2000 | 10.7% | +11.5% |
| 2003 | 11.7% | +9.3% |
| 2009 | 7.9% | -32.5% |
| 2016 | 6.6% | -16.5% |
| 2018 | 7.4% | +12.1% |
Myanmar compared with similar countries
- Myanmar's 7.4% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 5.1%, 1.5× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Myanmar's 7.4% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 7.2%, 1.0× the median. (13 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.5% | 9.2% | 12.7% | 3 |
| 2000s | 10.1% | 7.9% | 11.7% | 3 |
| 2010s | 7.0% | 6.6% | 7.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
- 21 Burundi 7.8% compare
- 21 Chad 7.8% compare
- 21 Guinea-Bissau 7.8% compare
- 25 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 7.2% compare
- 25 Madagascar 7.2% compare
- 25 Thailand 7.2% compare
More health data for Myanmar
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.11 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.1576 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,398 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 2,973 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.759 % 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 0.0387 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.8351 % 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 Myanmar?
- Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Myanmar was 7.4% in 2018, 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 Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 12.7% in 1991.
- What is the lowest prevalence of wasting, weight for height recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.6% in 2016.
- How does Myanmar rank for prevalence of wasting, weight for height?
- Myanmar ranks 24th out of 99 countries with data for 2018.
- Is prevalence of wasting, weight for height rising or falling in Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Myanmar 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.