Weight-for-height <-3 SD in Africa (UNSDG)

Africa (UNSDG): Weight-for-height <-3 SD was 1.3 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
1.3
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
19th
of 56 groups
All-time high
2.8
in 2000
All-time low
1.3
in 2022
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Weight-for-height <-3 SD in Africa (UNSDG), 2000–2024

01232000201220242000: 2.82001: 2.72002: 2.62003: 2.52004: 2.42005: 2.32006: 2.22007: 2.22008: 2.12009: 22010: 22011: 1.92012: 1.82013: 1.82014: 1.72015: 1.72016: 1.62017: 1.62018: 1.52019: 1.52020: 1.42021: 1.42022: 1.32023: 1.32024: 1.3

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

In 2024, weight-for-height <-3 sd in Africa (UNSDG) stood at 1.3. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

That represents a change of down 23.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, weight-for-height <-3 sd in Africa (UNSDG) peaked at 2.8 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.3, in 2022.

That places Africa (UNSDG) 19th 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

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.38 2 2.8 10
2010s 1.71 1.5 2 10
2020s 1.34 1.3 1.4 5

Countries ranked near Africa (UNSDG)

  1. 16 Indonesia 2.08 compare
  2. 17 Maldives 2.01 compare
  3. 18 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 1.9 compare
  4. 19 Guyana 1.85 compare
  5. 20 Armenia 1.75 compare
  6. 21 Bangladesh 1.74 compare
  7. 22 Tajikistan 1.6 compare
  8. 22 Zimbabwe 1.6 compare
  9. 22 Central African Republic 1.6 compare

See the full ranking of 140 places →

More health data for Africa (UNSDG)

All data for Africa (UNSDG) →

Frequently asked questions

What is weight-for-height <-3 sd in Africa (UNSDG)?
Weight-for-height <-3 sd in Africa (UNSDG) was 1.3 in 2024, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest weight-for-height <-3 sd recorded in Africa (UNSDG)?
The highest recorded value was 2.8 in 2000.
What is the lowest weight-for-height <-3 sd recorded in Africa (UNSDG)?
The lowest recorded value was 1.3 in 2022.
How does Africa (UNSDG) rank for weight-for-height <-3 sd?
Africa (UNSDG) ranks 19th out of 56 groups with data for 2024.
Is weight-for-height <-3 sd rising or falling in Africa (UNSDG)?
Over the last ten years it is down 23.5%. 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 <-3 SD (severe 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 <-3 SD in Africa (UNSDG). Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/weight-for-height-3-sd-severe-wasting/africa-unsdg/

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About this data

Indicator
Weight-for-height <-3 SD (severe wasting)
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
140 places, 2,174 data points, 1986–2024
Last refreshed