Weight-for-height <-2 SD (wasting) in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)
Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG): Weight-for-height <-2 SD was 5.5 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Weight-for-height <-2 SD in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG), 2000–2024
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.
Weight-for-height <-2 SD in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 8.7 | — |
| 2001 | 8.5 | -2.3% |
| 2002 | 8.4 | -1.2% |
| 2003 | 8.2 | -2.4% |
| 2004 | 8.1 | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 7.9 | -2.5% |
| 2006 | 7.8 | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 7.6 | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 7.5 | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 7.3 | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 7.2 | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 7.1 | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 6.9 | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 6.8 | -1.4% |
| 2014 | 6.7 | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 6.6 | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 6.4 | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 6.3 | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 6.2 | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 6.1 | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 5.9 | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 5.8 | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 5.7 | -1.7% |
| 2023 | 5.6 | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 5.5 | -1.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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)
- 17 Indonesia 8.37 compare
- 18 East Timor 8.29 compare
- 19 Benin 8.29 compare
- 20 Cote d'Ivoire 8.06 compare
- 21 Guinea-Bissau 7.82 compare
- 22 Burundi 7.8 compare
- 23 Chad 7.77 compare
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)
- Child deaths (aged 1-4 years), annual growth rate -2.51 % change on previous year (2024)
- Live Births Surviving to Age 1 46,890 (2100)
- Child deaths 936,884 (2024)
- Mortality rate age 1-11 months 21.18 (2024)
- Deaths age 1-59 months 1.75 million (2024)
- Deaths age 1-11 months 809,073 (2024)
- Mortality rate 1-59 months 46.13 (2024)
- Child mortality rate 25.49 (2024)
- Neonatal deaths as a percentage of under-five deaths 0.3831 (2024)
- Deaths aged 20 to 24 250,104 (2024)
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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).