Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard in China
China: Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard was 3.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
3.0%
Change on year
down 2.5%
World rank
116th
of 198 countries
All-time high
5.5%
in 1993
All-time low
3.0%
in 2024
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard in China, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2024, thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in China stood at 3.0%. That is the lowest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is down 2.5% on the previous year and down 24.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in China peaked at 5.5% in 1993 and was at its lowest, 3.0%, in 2024.
That places China 116th out of 198 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 45 years of available data.
Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard in China, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 5.4% | — |
| 1981 | 5.4% | +0.1% |
| 1982 | 5.4% | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 5.5% | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 5.5% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 5.5% | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 5.5% | +0.2% |
| 1987 | 5.5% | +0.1% |
| 1988 | 5.5% | +0.1% |
| 1989 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 5.5% | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 5.5% | -0.1% |
| 1996 | 5.5% | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 5.5% | -0.4% |
| 1998 | 5.4% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 5.4% | -0.7% |
| 2000 | 5.4% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 5.3% | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 5.2% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 5.2% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 5.1% | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 5.0% | -1.6% |
| 2006 | 4.9% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 4.8% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 4.7% | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 4.6% | -2.5% |
| 2010 | 4.5% | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 4.3% | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 4.2% | -3.0% |
| 2013 | 4.1% | -2.9% |
| 2014 | 4.0% | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 3.8% | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 3.7% | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 3.6% | -2.8% |
| 2018 | 3.5% | -2.8% |
| 2019 | 3.4% | -2.8% |
| 2020 | 3.3% | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 3.2% | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 3.2% | -2.6% |
| 2023 | 3.1% | -2.6% |
| 2024 | 3.0% | -2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 5.5% | 5.4% | 5.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.0% | 4.6% | 5.4% | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.9% | 3.4% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.2% | 3.0% | 3.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More health data for China
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.15 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.0985 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,029 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,642 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -3.74 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.072 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -4.07 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.0821 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in China?
- Thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in China was 3.0% in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 5.5% in 1993.
- What is the lowest thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.0% in 2024.
- How does China rank for thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard?
- China ranks 116th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard deviations below the median (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).