Weight-for-height <-2 SD in Africa (UNSDG)
Africa (UNSDG): Weight-for-height <-2 SD was 5.4 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Weight-for-height <-2 SD in Africa (UNSDG), 2000–2024
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
In 2024, weight-for-height <-2 sd in Africa (UNSDG) stood at 5.4. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 16.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, weight-for-height <-2 sd in Africa (UNSDG) peaked at 8.2 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 5.4, in 2024.
That places Africa (UNSDG) 22nd out of 56 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.63 | 7.1 | 8.2 | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.45 | 6 | 6.9 | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.6 | 5.4 | 5.8 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa (UNSDG)
- 19 Benin 8.29 compare
- 20 Côte d'Ivoire 8.06 compare
- 21 Guinea-Bissau 7.82 compare
- 22 Burundi 7.8 compare
- 23 Chad 7.77 compare
- 24 Myanmar 7.4 compare
- 25 Madagascar 7.24 compare
More health data for Africa (UNSDG)
- Live Births Surviving to Age 1 52,055 (2100)
- Prevalence of overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 36.19 (2022)
- Prevalence of obesity among adults, BMI ≥ 30 15.51 (2022)
- Prevalence of underweight among adults, BMI < 18.5 10.56 (2022)
- Percentage of overweight among children aged 5-19 years, BMI > +1 14.27 (2022)
- Prevalence of obesity among children aged 5-19 years, BMI > +2 5.27 (2022)
- Percentage of thinness among children aged 5-19 years, BMI < -2 8.85 (2022)
- Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns 13.89 (2020)
- Weight-for-height <-3 SD 1.3 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is weight-for-height <-2 sd in Africa (UNSDG)?
- Weight-for-height <-2 sd in Africa (UNSDG) was 5.4 in 2024, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest weight-for-height <-2 sd recorded in Africa (UNSDG)?
- The highest recorded value was 8.2 in 2000.
- What is the lowest weight-for-height <-2 sd recorded in Africa (UNSDG)?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.4 in 2024.
- How does Africa (UNSDG) rank for weight-for-height <-2 sd?
- Africa (UNSDG) ranks 22nd out of 56 groups with data for 2024.
- Is weight-for-height <-2 sd rising or falling in Africa (UNSDG)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa (UNSDG) data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Weight-for-height <-2 SD (wasting). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).