Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard in Malawi
Malawi: Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard was 1.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard in Malawi, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 1.9% for thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 45 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and down 7.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in Malawi peaked at 4.3% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 2024.
That places Malawi 159th out of 198 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
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 Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 4.3% | — |
| 1981 | 4.2% | -2.7% |
| 1982 | 4.0% | -2.6% |
| 1983 | 3.9% | -2.6% |
| 1984 | 3.8% | -2.5% |
| 1985 | 3.7% | -2.5% |
| 1986 | 3.7% | -2.4% |
| 1987 | 3.6% | -2.3% |
| 1988 | 3.5% | -2.2% |
| 1989 | 3.4% | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 3.3% | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 3.3% | -2.2% |
| 1992 | 3.2% | -2.2% |
| 1993 | 3.1% | -2.2% |
| 1994 | 3.1% | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 3.0% | -2.3% |
| 1996 | 2.9% | -2.3% |
| 1997 | 2.9% | -2.4% |
| 1998 | 2.8% | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 2.7% | -2.4% |
| 2000 | 2.6% | -2.5% |
| 2001 | 2.6% | -2.5% |
| 2002 | 2.5% | -2.5% |
| 2003 | 2.5% | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 2.4% | -2.4% |
| 2005 | 2.3% | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 2.3% | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 2.2% | -2.1% |
| 2008 | 2.2% | -1.9% |
| 2009 | 2.2% | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 2.1% | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 2.1% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 2.1% | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 2.0% | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 2.0% | -1.3% |
| 2015 | 2.0% | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 2.0% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 1.9% | -1.1% |
| 2018 | 1.9% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 1.9% | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 1.9% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 1.9% | -0.6% |
| 2022 | 1.9% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | 1.9% | -0.3% |
| 2024 | 1.9% | -0.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.8% | 3.4% | 4.3% | 10 |
| 1990s | 3.0% | 2.7% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.4% | 2.2% | 2.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.0% | 1.9% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More health data for Malawi
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8368 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9312 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 856.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 6,399 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate 1.08 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female, per capita 0.2005 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate 1.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, per capita 0.2007 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in Malawi?
- Thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in Malawi was 1.9% 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 4.3% in 1980.
- What is the lowest thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 2024.
- How does Malawi rank for thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard?
- Malawi ranks 159th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
- Is thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi 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).