Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard in Malaysia

Malaysia: Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard was 8.2% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
8.2%
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
27th
of 198 countries
All-time high
12.6%
in 1980
All-time low
8.2%
in 2018
Years of data
45
1980–2024

Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard in Malaysia, 1980–2024

0510151980200220241980: 12.61981: 12.61982: 12.51983: 12.41984: 12.41985: 12.31986: 12.31987: 12.21988: 12.21989: 12.11990: 121991: 121992: 11.91993: 11.81994: 11.71995: 11.61996: 11.41997: 11.31998: 11.11999: 10.92000: 10.72001: 10.52002: 10.32003: 102004: 9.82005: 9.62006: 9.42007: 9.22008: 92009: 8.82010: 8.62011: 8.52012: 8.42013: 8.32014: 8.22015: 8.22016: 8.22017: 8.22018: 8.22019: 8.22020: 8.22021: 8.22022: 8.22023: 8.22024: 8.2

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

In 2024, thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in Malaysia stood at 8.2%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 0.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in Malaysia peaked at 12.6% in 1980 and was at its lowest, 8.2%, in 2018.

Malaysia ranks 27th of 198 countries on this measure, in the top 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 Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard deviations below the median (%) in Malaysia, 1980 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1980 12.6%
1981 12.6% -0.5%
1982 12.5% -0.5%
1983 12.4% -0.5%
1984 12.4% -0.5%
1985 12.3% -0.5%
1986 12.3% -0.5%
1987 12.2% -0.5%
1988 12.2% -0.5%
1989 12.1% -0.5%
1990 12.0% -0.5%
1991 12.0% -0.6%
1992 11.9% -0.7%
1993 11.8% -0.8%
1994 11.7% -0.9%
1995 11.6% -1.0%
1996 11.4% -1.1%
1997 11.3% -1.3%
1998 11.1% -1.5%
1999 10.9% -1.7%
2000 10.7% -1.9%
2001 10.5% -2.0%
2002 10.3% -2.2%
2003 10.0% -2.3%
2004 9.8% -2.3%
2005 9.6% -2.3%
2006 9.4% -2.3%
2007 9.2% -2.2%
2008 9.0% -2.1%
2009 8.8% -2.0%
2010 8.6% -1.8%
2011 8.5% -1.6%
2012 8.4% -1.3%
2013 8.3% -1.0%
2014 8.2% -0.7%
2015 8.2% -0.4%
2016 8.2% -0.3%
2017 8.2% -0.1%
2018 8.2% -0.0%
2019 8.2% +0.0%
2020 8.2% +0.0%
2021 8.2% +0.0%
2022 8.2% +0.1%
2023 8.2% +0.1%
2024 8.2% +0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 12.4% 12.1% 12.6% 10
1990s 11.6% 10.9% 12.0% 10
2000s 9.7% 8.8% 10.7% 10
2010s 8.3% 8.2% 8.6% 10
2020s 8.2% 8.2% 8.2% 5

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 24 Cambodia 8.5% compare
  2. 25 Afghanistan 8.4% compare
  3. 26 Ethiopia 8.3% compare
  4. 28 Philippines 8.0% compare
  5. 29 Indonesia 7.9% compare
  6. 30 Vietnam 7.9% compare

See the full ranking of 211 places →

More health data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in Malaysia?
Thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in Malaysia was 8.2% 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 Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 12.6% in 1980.
What is the lowest thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 8.2% in 2018.
How does Malaysia rank for thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard?
Malaysia ranks 27th out of 198 countries with data for 2024.
Is thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malaysia 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.

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Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/thinness-among-children-and-adolescents-bmi-for-age-2-standard-deviations-below-the/malaysia/

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About this data

Indicator
Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard deviations below the median (%)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
211 places, 9,495 data points, 1980–2024
Last refreshed