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

Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG): Weight-for-height <-3 SD was 1.1 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
1.1
Change on year
down 8.3%
Rank
26th
of 56 groups
All-time high
2.9
in 2000
All-time low
1.1
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

01232000201220242000: 2.92001: 2.72002: 2.62003: 2.52004: 2.42005: 2.32006: 2.32007: 2.22008: 2.12009: 22010: 1.92011: 1.92012: 1.82013: 1.72014: 1.72015: 1.62016: 1.52017: 1.52018: 1.42019: 1.42020: 1.32021: 1.32022: 1.22023: 1.22024: 1.1

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) recorded 1.1 for weight-for-height <-3 sd in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 8.3% on the previous year and down 35.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, weight-for-height <-3 sd in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) peaked at 2.9 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 1.1, in 2024.

Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) ranks 26th 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 <-3 SD in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG), year by year

Annual values for Weight-for-height <-3 SD (severe wasting) in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG), 2000 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2000 2.9
2001 2.7 -6.9%
2002 2.6 -3.7%
2003 2.5 -3.8%
2004 2.4 -4.0%
2005 2.3 -4.2%
2006 2.3 +0.0%
2007 2.2 -4.3%
2008 2.1 -4.5%
2009 2 -4.8%
2010 1.9 -5.0%
2011 1.9 +0.0%
2012 1.8 -5.3%
2013 1.7 -5.6%
2014 1.7 +0.0%
2015 1.6 -5.9%
2016 1.5 -6.3%
2017 1.5 +0.0%
2018 1.4 -6.7%
2019 1.4 +0.0%
2020 1.3 -7.1%
2021 1.3 +0.0%
2022 1.2 -7.7%
2023 1.2 +0.0%
2024 1.1 -8.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 2.4 2 2.9 10
2010s 1.64 1.4 1.9 10
2020s 1.22 1.1 1.3 5

Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)

  1. 25 Cameroon 1.59 compare
  2. 26 Guinea-Bissau 1.53 compare
  3. 27 Zambia 1.52 compare
  4. 28 Chad 1.5 compare
  5. 29 Madagascar 1.48 compare

See the full ranking of 140 places →

More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)

All data for Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) →

Frequently asked questions

What is weight-for-height <-3 sd in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)?
Weight-for-height <-3 sd in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) was 1.1 in 2024, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest weight-for-height <-3 sd recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)?
The highest recorded value was 2.9 in 2000.
What is the lowest weight-for-height <-3 sd recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)?
The lowest recorded value was 1.1 in 2024.
How does Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) rank for weight-for-height <-3 sd?
Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG) ranks 26th out of 56 groups with data for 2024.
Is weight-for-height <-3 sd rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG)?
Over the last ten years it is down 35.3%. 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 <-3 SD (severe wasting). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Weight-for-height <-3 SD in Sub-Saharan Africa (UNSDG). Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/weight-for-height-3-sd-severe-wasting/sub-saharan-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