Weight-for-height <-2 SD in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)

Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG): Weight-for-height <-2 SD was 5.5 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
5.5
Change on year
down 1.8%
Rank
20th
of 56 groups
All-time high
8.7
in 2000
All-time low
5.5
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Weight-for-height <-2 SD in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG), 2000–2024

024682000201220242000: 8.72001: 8.52002: 8.42003: 8.22004: 8.12005: 7.92006: 7.82007: 7.62008: 7.52009: 7.32010: 7.22011: 7.12012: 6.92013: 6.82014: 6.72015: 6.62016: 6.42017: 6.32018: 6.22019: 6.12020: 5.92021: 5.82022: 5.72023: 5.62024: 5.5

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

In 2024, weight-for-height <-2 sd in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) stood at 5.5. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and down 17.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, weight-for-height <-2 sd in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) peaked at 8.7 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 5.5, in 2024.

Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) ranks 20th of 56 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 8 7.3 8.7 10
2010s 6.63 6.1 7.2 10
2020s 5.7 5.5 5.9 5

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)

  1. 17 Indonesia 8.37 compare
  2. 18 Timor-Leste 8.29 compare
  3. 19 Benin 8.29 compare
  4. 20 Côte d'Ivoire 8.06 compare
  5. 21 Guinea-Bissau 7.82 compare
  6. 22 Burundi 7.8 compare
  7. 23 Chad 7.77 compare

See the full ranking of 154 places →

More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) →

Frequently asked questions

What is weight-for-height <-2 sd in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)?
Weight-for-height <-2 sd in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) was 5.5 in 2024, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest weight-for-height <-2 sd recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)?
The highest recorded value was 8.7 in 2000.
What is the lowest weight-for-height <-2 sd recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)?
The lowest recorded value was 5.5 in 2024.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) rank for weight-for-height <-2 sd?
Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) ranks 20th out of 56 groups with data for 2024.
Is weight-for-height <-2 sd rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sub-Saharan 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.

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CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).

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Weight-for-height <-2 SD in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG). Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 22 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/weight-for-height-2-sd-wasting/sub-saharan-africa-unsdg/

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<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/stat/weight-for-height-2-sd-wasting/sub-saharan-africa-unsdg/">Weight-for-height <-2 SD in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Weight-for-height <-2 SD (wasting)
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
154 places, 2,355 data points, 1985–2024
Last refreshed