Number of children who are underweight in China

China: Number of children who are underweight was 2.15 million in 2013. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2013)
2.15 million
Change on year
down 25.9%
World rank
9th
of 96 countries
All-time high
21.52 million
in 1987
All-time low
2.15 million
in 2013
Years of data
12
1987–2013

Number of children who are underweight in China, 1987–2013

05.0M10.0M15.0M20.0M1987200020131987: 21.5M1990: 16.0M1992: 17.4M1995: 10.9M1998: 6.2M2000: 6.3M2002: 5.6M2005: 3.6M2008: 3.1M2009: 2.9M2010: 2.9M2013: 2.2M

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2013, number of children who are underweight in China stood at 2.15 million. That is the lowest value across all 12 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 25.9% on the previous year and down 61.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of children who are underweight in China peaked at 21.52 million in 1987 and was at its lowest, 2.15 million, in 2013.

That places China 9th out of 96 countries with data for 2013, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 21.52 million 21.52 million 21.52 million 1
1990s 12.65 million 6.18 million 17.45 million 4
2000s 4.30 million 2.85 million 6.30 million 5
2010s 2.53 million 2.15 million 2.91 million 2

Countries ranked near China

  1. 6 Indonesia 3.55 million compare
  2. 7 Bangladesh 3.54 million compare
  3. 8 Yemen 2.50 million compare
  4. 10 Philippines 1.78 million compare
  5. 11 Niger 1.58 million compare
  6. 12 Afghanistan 1.21 million compare

See the full ranking of 96 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of children who are underweight in China?
Number of children who are underweight in China was 2.15 million in 2013, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest number of children who are underweight recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 21.52 million in 1987.
What is the lowest number of children who are underweight recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 2.15 million in 2013.
How does China rank for number of children who are underweight?
China ranks 9th out of 96 countries with data for 2013.
Is number of children who are underweight rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 61.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Number of children who are underweight. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Number of children who are underweight
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
96 places, 951 data points, 1984–2023
Last refreshed