Malnutrition: Number of children who are underweight in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Malnutrition: Number of children who are underweight was 571,923 underweight children in 2021. ▼ Falling
Malnutrition: Number of children who are underweight in Burkina Faso, 1993–2021
Source: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) - UNICEF, WHO, and World Bank (2026); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in underweight children.
Analysis
In 2021, malnutrition: number of children who are underweight in Burkina Faso stood at 571,923 underweight children.
That represents a change of up 31.8% on the previous year and down 25.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are underweight in Burkina Faso peaked at 764,750 underweight children in 2011 and was at its lowest, 433,910 underweight children, in 2020.
That places Burkina Faso 24th out of 96 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 15 years of available data.
Malnutrition: Number of children who are underweight in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | underweight children | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1993 | 531,193 underweight children | — |
| 1999 | 657,871 underweight children | +23.8% |
| 2009 | 747,165 underweight children | +13.6% |
| 2010 | 746,618 underweight children | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 764,750 underweight children | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 759,508 underweight children | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 668,997 underweight children | -11.9% |
| 2014 | 654,265 underweight children | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 760,323 underweight children | +16.2% |
| 2016 | 640,355 underweight children | -15.8% |
| 2017 | 555,318 underweight children | -13.3% |
| 2018 | 610,181 underweight children | +9.9% |
| 2019 | 564,628 underweight children | -7.5% |
| 2020 | 433,910 underweight children | -23.2% |
| 2021 | 571,923 underweight children | +31.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 594,532 underweight children | 531,193 underweight children | 657,871 underweight children | 2 |
| 2000s | 747,165 underweight children | 747,165 underweight children | 747,165 underweight children | 1 |
| 2010s | 672,494 underweight children | 555,318 underweight children | 764,750 underweight children | 10 |
| 2020s | 502,916 underweight children | 433,910 underweight children | 571,923 underweight children | 2 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
More reference data data for Burkina Faso
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9232 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 7.39 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 9.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4137 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 9.33 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.61 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 33.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 45.27 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.25 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: number of children who are underweight in Burkina Faso?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are underweight in Burkina Faso was 571,923 underweight children in 2021, according to Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) - UNICEF, WHO, and World Bank (2026); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest malnutrition: number of children who are underweight recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 764,750 underweight children in 2011.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are underweight recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 433,910 underweight children in 2020.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for malnutrition: number of children who are underweight?
- Burkina Faso ranks 24th out of 96 countries with data for 2021.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are underweight rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Burkina Faso data come from?
- The figures come from Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) - UNICEF, WHO, and World Bank (2026); UN, World Population Prospects (2024) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Malnutrition: Number of children who are underweight. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Prevalence of underweight children is the percentage of children under age 5 whose weight for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. The data are based on the WHO's child growth standards released in 2006.