Malnutrition: Number of children who are underweight in North Korea
North Korea: Malnutrition: Number of children who are underweight was 155,986 underweight children in 2017. ◆ Volatile
Malnutrition: Number of children who are underweight in North Korea, 1998–2017
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
The most recent figure for malnutrition: number of children who are underweight in North Korea is 155,986 underweight children, measured in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 50.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are underweight in North Korea peaked at 1.16 million underweight children in 1998 and was at its lowest, 155,986 underweight children, in 2017.
North Korea ranks 49th of 96 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Malnutrition: Number of children who are underweight in North Korea, year by year
| Year | underweight children | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1.16 million underweight children | — |
| 2000 | 502,420 underweight children | -56.9% |
| 2002 | 342,684 underweight children | -31.8% |
| 2004 | 379,975 underweight children | +10.9% |
| 2009 | 312,990 underweight children | -17.6% |
| 2012 | 249,180 underweight children | -20.4% |
| 2017 | 155,986 underweight children | -37.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.16 million underweight children | 1.16 million underweight children | 1.16 million underweight children | 1 |
| 2000s | 384,517 underweight children | 312,990 underweight children | 502,420 underweight children | 4 |
| 2010s | 202,583 underweight children | 155,986 underweight children | 249,180 underweight children | 2 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 46 Mauritania 175,900 underweight children compare
- 47 Central African Republic 171,954 underweight children compare
- 48 Togo 164,055 underweight children compare
- 50 Rwanda 141,064 underweight children compare
- 51 Sierra Leone 137,024 underweight children compare
- 52 Algeria 136,048 underweight children compare
More reference data data for North Korea
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.3562 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.9593 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4297 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.75 (2050)
- Temperature anomalies by month -2.22 °C (2026)
- Spring temperature anomalies 2.29 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3103 °C (2026)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from CH4 (AR5) - Enteric 2,573 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Manure Management 656.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Manure applied to Soils 316.45 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: number of children who are underweight in North Korea?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are underweight in North Korea was 155,986 underweight children in 2017, 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 North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 1.16 million underweight children in 1998.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are underweight recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 155,986 underweight children in 2017.
- How does North Korea rank for malnutrition: number of children who are underweight?
- North Korea ranks 49th out of 96 countries with data for 2017.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are underweight rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 50.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this North Korea 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.