Weight-for-height <-2 SD in Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions)

Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions): Weight-for-height <-2 SD was 5.9 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
5.9
Change on year
down 1.7%
Rank
16th
of 56 groups
All-time high
9.4
in 2000
All-time low
5.9
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

02468102000201220242000: 9.42001: 9.22002: 92003: 8.92004: 8.72005: 8.52006: 8.42007: 8.22008: 82009: 7.92010: 7.72011: 7.62012: 7.42013: 7.32014: 7.12015: 72016: 6.92017: 6.72018: 6.62019: 6.52020: 6.32021: 6.22022: 6.12023: 62024: 5.9

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

In 2024, weight-for-height <-2 sd in Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions) stood at 5.9. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 1.7% on the previous year and down 16.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, weight-for-height <-2 sd in Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions) peaked at 9.4 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 5.9, in 2024.

Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions) ranks 16th 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 (World Bank regions), year by year

Annual values for Weight-for-height <-2 SD (wasting) in Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions), 2000 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2000 9.4
2001 9.2 -2.1%
2002 9 -2.2%
2003 8.9 -1.1%
2004 8.7 -2.2%
2005 8.5 -2.3%
2006 8.4 -1.2%
2007 8.2 -2.4%
2008 8 -2.4%
2009 7.9 -1.2%
2010 7.7 -2.5%
2011 7.6 -1.3%
2012 7.4 -2.6%
2013 7.3 -1.4%
2014 7.1 -2.7%
2015 7 -1.4%
2016 6.9 -1.4%
2017 6.7 -2.9%
2018 6.6 -1.5%
2019 6.5 -1.5%
2020 6.3 -3.1%
2021 6.2 -1.6%
2022 6.1 -1.6%
2023 6 -1.6%
2024 5.9 -1.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 8.62 7.9 9.4 10
2010s 7.08 6.5 7.7 10
2020s 6.1 5.9 6.3 5

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions)

  1. 13 Burkina Faso 9.34 compare
  2. 14 Sri Lanka 9.3 compare
  3. 14 Oman 9.3 compare
  4. 16 Maldives 9.15 compare
  5. 17 Indonesia 8.37 compare
  6. 18 Timor-Leste 8.29 compare
  7. 19 Benin 8.29 compare

See the full ranking of 154 places →

More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions)

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions) →

Frequently asked questions

What is weight-for-height <-2 sd in Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions)?
Weight-for-height <-2 sd in Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions) was 5.9 in 2024, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest weight-for-height <-2 sd recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions)?
The highest recorded value was 9.4 in 2000.
What is the lowest weight-for-height <-2 sd recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions)?
The lowest recorded value was 5.9 in 2024.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions) rank for weight-for-height <-2 sd?
Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions) ranks 16th out of 56 groups with data for 2024.
Is weight-for-height <-2 sd rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions)?
Over the last ten years it is down 16.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions) 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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Weight-for-height <-2 SD in Sub-Saharan Africa (World Bank regions). Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/weight-for-height-2-sd-wasting/sub-saharan-africa-world-bank-regions/

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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