Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard in World
World: Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard was 8.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
8.6%
Change on year
down 0.9%
Rank
4th
of 11 groups
All-time high
13.5%
in 1985
All-time low
8.6%
in 2024
Years of data
45
1980–2024
Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard in World, 1980–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2024, thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in World stood at 8.6%. That is the lowest value across all 45 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and down 15.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in World peaked at 13.5% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 8.6%, in 2024.
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 World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1980 | 13.1% | — |
| 1981 | 13.2% | +0.7% |
| 1982 | 13.3% | +0.7% |
| 1983 | 13.4% | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 13.5% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 13.5% | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 13.4% | -0.2% |
| 1987 | 13.4% | -0.5% |
| 1988 | 13.3% | -0.5% |
| 1989 | 13.3% | -0.3% |
| 1990 | 13.2% | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 13.1% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 13.0% | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 12.9% | -0.8% |
| 1994 | 12.8% | -1.0% |
| 1995 | 12.7% | -1.0% |
| 1996 | 12.6% | -0.8% |
| 1997 | 12.5% | -0.5% |
| 1998 | 12.4% | -0.5% |
| 1999 | 12.4% | -0.5% |
| 2000 | 12.3% | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 12.2% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 12.1% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 12.0% | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 11.8% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 11.7% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 11.5% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 11.4% | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 11.3% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 11.1% | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 11.0% | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 10.8% | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 10.6% | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 10.4% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 10.1% | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 9.9% | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 9.8% | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 9.6% | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 9.4% | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 9.2% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 9.1% | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 8.9% | -1.6% |
| 2022 | 8.8% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 8.7% | -1.2% |
| 2024 | 8.6% | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 13.3% | 13.1% | 13.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 12.8% | 12.4% | 13.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 11.8% | 11.1% | 12.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 10.1% | 9.2% | 11.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 8.8% | 8.6% | 9.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near World
More health data for World
- Population ages 0-14, female, annual growth rate -0.3116 % 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 0.1186 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male, annual growth rate -0.4394 % 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 0.1255 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, annual growth rate -0.3771 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, total, per capita 0.2441 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 15-64, female, annual growth rate 1.06 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in World?
- Thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard in World was 8.6% 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 World?
- The highest recorded value was 13.5% in 1985.
- What is the lowest thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.6% in 2024.
- How does World rank for thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard?
- World ranks 4th out of 11 groups with data for 2024.
- Is thinness among children and adolescents, bmi-for-age < -2 standard rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this World 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
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