Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Rwanda
Rwanda: Prevalence of wasting, weight for height was 1.1% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Rwanda, 1992–2020
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 2020, prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Rwanda stood at 1.1%. That is the lowest value across all 10 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 47.6% on the previous year and down 62.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Rwanda peaked at 11.0% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 1.1%, in 2020.
That places Rwanda 90th out of 99 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Rwanda, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 5.0% | — |
| 1996 | 11.0% | +120.0% |
| 2000 | 8.7% | -20.9% |
| 2005 | 4.9% | -43.7% |
| 2009 | 5.1% | +4.1% |
| 2010 | 2.9% | -43.1% |
| 2012 | 3.1% | +6.9% |
| 2015 | 2.3% | -25.8% |
| 2018 | 2.1% | -8.7% |
| 2020 | 1.1% | -47.6% |
Rwanda compared with similar countries
- Rwanda's 1.1% is below the median for low income countries, which is 6.3%, 17% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Rwanda's 1.1% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.6%, 20% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.0% | 5.0% | 11.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 6.2% | 4.9% | 8.7% | 3 |
| 2010s | 2.6% | 2.1% | 3.1% | 4 |
| 2020s | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1.1% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Rwanda
More health data for Rwanda
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.891 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 860.6 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 2,738 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.9441 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.065 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.9697 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Rwanda?
- Prevalence of wasting, weight for height in Rwanda was 1.1% in 2020, 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 Rwanda?
- The highest recorded value was 11.0% in 1996.
- What is the lowest prevalence of wasting, weight for height recorded in Rwanda?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1% in 2020.
- How does Rwanda rank for prevalence of wasting, weight for height?
- Rwanda ranks 90th out of 99 countries with data for 2020.
- Is prevalence of wasting, weight for height rising or falling in Rwanda?
- Over the last ten years it is down 62.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Rwanda 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.