Weight-for-age <-2 SD in India

India: Weight-for-age <-2 SD was 31.47 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
31.47
Change on year
down 6.9%
World rank
4th
of 95 countries
All-time high
55.5
in 1989
All-time low
29.4
in 2014
Years of data
10
1989–2020

Weight-for-age <-2 SD in India, 1989–2020

02040601989200420201989: 55.51991: 52.81992: 51.31997: 38.41999: 45.42006: 43.52014: 29.42015: 36.32017: 33.82020: 31.5

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

India recorded 31.47 for weight-for-age <-2 sd in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.9% on the previous year and down 27.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, weight-for-age <-2 sd in India peaked at 55.5 in 1989 and was at its lowest, 29.4, in 2014.

India ranks 4th of 95 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 55.5 55.5 55.5 1
1990s 46.97 38.4 52.8 4
2000s 43.5 43.5 43.5 1
2010s 33.16 29.4 36.27 3
2020s 31.47 31.47 31.47 1

Countries ranked near India

  1. 1 Yemen 40.71 compare
  2. 2 Niger 34.62 compare
  3. 3 Timor-Leste 31.86 compare
  4. 5 Burundi 28.3 compare
  5. 6 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 25 compare
  6. 7 Nigeria 24.4 compare

See the full ranking of 95 places →

More health data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is weight-for-age <-2 sd in India?
Weight-for-age <-2 sd in India was 31.47 in 2020, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest weight-for-age <-2 sd recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 55.5 in 1989.
What is the lowest weight-for-age <-2 sd recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 29.4 in 2014.
How does India rank for weight-for-age <-2 sd?
India ranks 4th out of 95 countries with data for 2020.
Is weight-for-age <-2 sd rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is down 27.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this India data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Weight-for-age <-2 SD (Underweight). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).

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Weight-for-age <-2 SD in India. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/weight-for-age-2-sd-underweight/india/

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About this data

Indicator
Weight-for-age <-2 SD (Underweight)
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
95 places, 950 data points, 1985–2024
Last refreshed