Weight-for-height <-2 SD (wasting) in Malawi
Malawi: Weight-for-height <-2 SD was 2.1 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
2.1
Change on year
down 44.2%
World rank
76th
of 98 countries
All-time high
8.9
in 1998
All-time low
1.5
in 2018
Years of data
16
1992–2020
Weight-for-height <-2 SD in Malawi, 1992–2020
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 2.1 for weight-for-height <-2 sd in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 44.2% on the previous year and down 48.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, weight-for-height <-2 sd in Malawi peaked at 8.9 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 1.5, in 2018.
That places Malawi 76th out of 98 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Weight-for-height <-2 SD in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 6.57 | — |
| 1995 | 8.5 | +29.4% |
| 1998 | 8.9 | +4.7% |
| 2000 | 6.8 | -23.6% |
| 2002 | 6.32 | -7.1% |
| 2004 | 6.3 | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 4.17 | -33.9% |
| 2009 | 1.9 | -54.4% |
| 2010 | 4.04 | +112.6% |
| 2014 | 3.81 | -5.8% |
| 2015 | 2.77 | -27.1% |
| 2016 | 4.1 | +47.8% |
| 2017 | 2.6 | -36.6% |
| 2018 | 1.5 | -42.3% |
| 2019 | 3.77 | +151.0% |
| 2020 | 2.1 | -44.2% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 2.1 is below the median for low income countries, which is 6.31, 33% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 2.1 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 5.56, 38% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 7.99 | 6.57 | 8.9 | 3 |
| 2000s | 5.1 | 1.9 | 6.8 | 5 |
| 2010s | 3.23 | 1.5 | 4.1 | 7 |
| 2020s | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More health data for Malawi
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8368 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9312 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 856.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 6,399 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.61 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0714 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is weight-for-height <-2 sd in Malawi?
- Weight-for-height <-2 sd in Malawi was 2.1 in 2020, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest weight-for-height <-2 sd recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 8.9 in 1998.
- What is the lowest weight-for-height <-2 sd recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5 in 2018.
- How does Malawi rank for weight-for-height <-2 sd?
- Malawi ranks 76th out of 98 countries with data for 2020.
- Is weight-for-height <-2 sd rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi 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 — 16 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).