Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard in Kenya
Kenya: Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard was 5.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
5.3%
Change on year
down 3.8%
World rank
61st
of 198 countries
All-time high
10.7%
in 1980
All-time low
5.3%
in 2024
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard in Kenya, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in Kenya is 5.3%, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is down 3.8% on the previous year and down 30.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in Kenya peaked at 10.7% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 5.3%, in 2024.
Kenya ranks 61st of 198 countries on this measure, 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 Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 10.7% | — |
| 1981 | 10.6% | -0.3% |
| 1982 | 10.6% | -0.3% |
| 1983 | 10.6% | -0.3% |
| 1984 | 10.5% | -0.2% |
| 1985 | 10.5% | -0.2% |
| 1986 | 10.5% | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 10.5% | -0.1% |
| 1988 | 10.5% | -0.1% |
| 1989 | 10.5% | -0.1% |
| 1990 | 10.4% | -0.2% |
| 1991 | 10.4% | -0.2% |
| 1992 | 10.4% | -0.3% |
| 1993 | 10.4% | -0.3% |
| 1994 | 10.3% | -0.4% |
| 1995 | 10.3% | -0.5% |
| 1996 | 10.2% | -0.6% |
| 1997 | 10.1% | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 10.0% | -0.8% |
| 1999 | 9.9% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 9.8% | -1.1% |
| 2001 | 9.7% | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 9.6% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 9.5% | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 9.3% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 9.2% | -1.5% |
| 2006 | 9.1% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 8.9% | -1.6% |
| 2008 | 8.8% | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 8.6% | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 8.4% | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 8.3% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 8.1% | -2.3% |
| 2013 | 7.9% | -2.5% |
| 2014 | 7.7% | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 7.4% | -2.9% |
| 2016 | 7.2% | -3.1% |
| 2017 | 7.0% | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 6.7% | -3.6% |
| 2019 | 6.5% | -3.8% |
| 2020 | 6.2% | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 6.0% | -3.9% |
| 2022 | 5.7% | -3.9% |
| 2023 | 5.5% | -3.8% |
| 2024 | 5.3% | -3.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10.5% | 10.5% | 10.7% | 10 |
| 1990s | 10.2% | 9.9% | 10.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.3% | 8.6% | 9.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.5% | 6.5% | 8.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.7% | 5.3% | 6.2% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
- 58 Benin 5.5% compare
- 59 South Sudan 5.4% compare
- 60 Botswana 5.3% compare
- 62 Tanzania, United Republic of 5.2% compare
- 63 Turkmenistan 5.1% compare
- 64 Togo 5.1% compare
More health data for Kenya
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6026 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,119 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 16,059 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 0.3381 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.18 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 0.3574 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.1826 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in Kenya?
- Thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in Kenya was 5.3% 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 10.7% in 1980.
- What is the lowest thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.3% in 2024.
- How does Kenya rank for thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard?
- Kenya ranks 61st out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 30.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Kenya 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).