Underweight numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) in AFR
AFR: Underweight numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) was 27,571 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
27,571
Change on year
down 0.6%
Rank
6th
of 13 groups
All-time high
29,430
in 2012
All-time low
26,501
in 1990
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Underweight numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) in AFR, 1990–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for underweight numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) in AFR is 27,571, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 6.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, underweight numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) in AFR peaked at 29,430 in 2012 and was at its lowest, 26,501, in 1990.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 35 years of available data.
Underweight numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) in AFR, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 26,501 | — |
| 1991 | 26,610 | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 26,722 | +0.4% |
| 1993 | 26,816 | +0.4% |
| 1994 | 26,867 | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 26,956 | +0.3% |
| 1996 | 27,116 | +0.6% |
| 1997 | 27,244 | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 27,312 | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 27,390 | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 27,496 | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 27,612 | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 27,756 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 27,932 | +0.6% |
| 2004 | 28,128 | +0.7% |
| 2005 | 28,332 | +0.7% |
| 2006 | 28,544 | +0.7% |
| 2007 | 28,756 | +0.7% |
| 2008 | 28,963 | +0.7% |
| 2009 | 29,140 | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 29,275 | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 29,376 | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 29,430 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 29,418 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 29,363 | -0.2% |
| 2015 | 29,275 | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 29,135 | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 28,953 | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 28,752 | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 28,538 | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 28,319 | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 28,121 | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 27,929 | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 27,746 | -0.7% |
| 2024 | 27,571 | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 26,954 | 26,501 | 27,390 | 10 |
| 2000s | 28,266 | 27,496 | 29,140 | 10 |
| 2010s | 29,152 | 28,538 | 29,430 | 10 |
| 2020s | 27,937 | 27,571 | 28,319 | 5 |
More health data for AFR
- Mortality rate among children ages 5 to 9 years 8.27 (2024)
- Population with primary reliance on polluting fuels and technologies 632.45 (2023)
- Proportion of population with primary reliance on fuels and 83.2% (2023)
- Population with primary reliance on fuels and technologies for 572.82 (2023)
- Prevalence of diabetes, crude 8.58 (2022)
- Measles-containing-vaccine first-dose (MCV1) immunization coverage 71.0% (2025)
- Diphtheria tetanus toxoid and pertussis first-dose (DTP1) 83.0% (2025)
- New HIV infections 0.49 (2025)
- BCG immunization coverage among 1-year-olds (%) 82.0% (2025)
- Mean HDL cholesterol, crude 1.1 (2018)
Frequently asked questions
- What is underweight numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) in AFR?
- Underweight numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) in AFR was 27,571 in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest underweight numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) recorded in AFR?
- The highest recorded value was 29,430 in 2012.
- What is the lowest underweight numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) recorded in AFR?
- The lowest recorded value was 26,501 in 1990.
- How does AFR rank for underweight numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions)?
- AFR ranks 6th out of 13 groups with data for 2024.
- Is underweight numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) rising or falling in AFR?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this AFR data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Underweight numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions), model-based estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).