Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard in Europe (WHO region)
Europe (WHO region): Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard was 3.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
3.1%
Change on year
up 1.9%
Rank
9th
of 11 groups
All-time high
3.4%
in 1980
All-time low
2.5%
in 2009
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard in Europe (WHO region), 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2024, thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in Europe (WHO region) stood at 3.1%.
The figure is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 18.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in Europe (WHO region) peaked at 3.4% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 2.5%, in 2009.
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 Europe (WHO region), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 3.4% | — |
| 1981 | 3.4% | -0.7% |
| 1982 | 3.4% | -0.6% |
| 1983 | 3.4% | -0.7% |
| 1984 | 3.3% | -0.8% |
| 1985 | 3.3% | -0.9% |
| 1986 | 3.3% | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 3.3% | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 3.2% | -0.6% |
| 1989 | 3.2% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 3.2% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 3.2% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 3.2% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 3.2% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 3.2% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 3.1% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 3.1% | -1.5% |
| 1997 | 3.0% | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 3.0% | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 2.9% | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 2.8% | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 2.8% | -2.1% |
| 2002 | 2.7% | -2.1% |
| 2003 | 2.7% | -1.9% |
| 2004 | 2.6% | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 2.6% | -1.8% |
| 2006 | 2.5% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 2.5% | -1.0% |
| 2008 | 2.5% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 2.5% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 2.5% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 2.5% | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 2.5% | +0.8% |
| 2013 | 2.6% | +1.1% |
| 2014 | 2.6% | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 2.6% | +1.4% |
| 2016 | 2.7% | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 2.7% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 2.8% | +1.7% |
| 2019 | 2.8% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 2.8% | +1.8% |
| 2021 | 2.9% | +1.9% |
| 2022 | 3.0% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 3.0% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 3.1% | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.3% | 3.2% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.1% | 2.9% | 3.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.6% | 2.5% | 2.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.0% | 2.8% | 3.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Europe (WHO region)
More health data for Europe (WHO region)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, gaps filled 52,021 (2025)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 85 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 38,686 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 199 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, annual growth rate -74.39 % change on previous year (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, annual growth rate -82.58 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, annual growth rate -33.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases 52,021 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases 85 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in Europe (WHO region)?
- Thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in Europe (WHO region) was 3.1% 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 Europe (WHO region)?
- The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 1980.
- What is the lowest thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard recorded in Europe (WHO region)?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.5% in 2009.
- How does Europe (WHO region) rank for thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard?
- Europe (WHO region) ranks 9th out of 11 groups with data for 2024.
- Is thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard rising or falling in Europe (WHO region)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 18.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe (WHO region) 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).