Share of children who have anemia in China

China: Share of children who have anemia was 18.8% in 2019. ▼ Falling

Latest (2019)
18.8%
Change on year
up 1.6%
World rank
145th
of 190 countries
All-time high
28.5%
in 2000
All-time low
18.1%
in 2014
Years of data
20
2000–2019

Share of children who have anemia in China, 2000–2019

01020302000200920192000: 28.5 % of children under 52001: 27 % of children under 52002: 25.8 % of children under 52003: 24.6 % of children under 52004: 23.6 % of children under 52005: 22.6 % of children under 52006: 21.7 % of children under 52007: 20.8 % of children under 52008: 20.1 % of children under 52009: 19.5 % of children under 52010: 19 % of children under 52011: 18.6 % of children under 52012: 18.3 % of children under 52013: 18.2 % of children under 52014: 18.1 % of children under 52015: 18.2 % of children under 52016: 18.3 % of children under 52017: 18.4 % of children under 52018: 18.5 % of children under 52019: 18.8 % of children under 5

Source: Global Health Observatory / World Health Statistics - World Health Organization (WHO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 5.

Analysis

China recorded 18.8% for share of children who have anemia in 2019.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.6% on the previous year and down 3.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children who have anemia in China peaked at 28.5% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 18.1%, in 2014.

China ranks 145th of 190 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 20 years of available data.

Share of children who have anemia in China, year by year

Annual values for Share of children who have anemia in China, 2000 to 2019.
Year % of children under 5 Change
2000 28.5% —
2001 27.0% -5.3%
2002 25.8% -4.4%
2003 24.6% -4.7%
2004 23.6% -4.1%
2005 22.6% -4.2%
2006 21.7% -4.0%
2007 20.8% -4.1%
2008 20.1% -3.4%
2009 19.5% -3.0%
2010 19.0% -2.6%
2011 18.6% -2.1%
2012 18.3% -1.6%
2013 18.2% -0.5%
2014 18.1% -0.5%
2015 18.2% +0.6%
2016 18.3% +0.5%
2017 18.4% +0.5%
2018 18.5% +0.5%
2019 18.8% +1.6%

China compared with similar countries

  • China's 18.8% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 25.1%, 75% of the median. (57 countries reporting)
  • China's 18.8% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 33.8%, 56% of the median. (30 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 23.4% 19.5% 28.5% 10
2010s 18.4% 18.1% 19.0% 10

Countries ranked near China

  1. 142 Latvia 19.4% compare
  2. 143 Argentina 19.0% compare
  3. 143 Costa Rica 19.0% compare
  4. 146 Czechia 18.7% compare
  5. 147 Slovenia 18.2% compare
  6. 148 Cuba 18.1% compare
  7. 148 Hungary 18.1% compare

See the full ranking of 190 places →

More reference data data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children who have anemia in China?
Share of children who have anemia in China was 18.8% in 2019, according to Global Health Observatory / World Health Statistics - World Health Organization (WHO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children who have anemia recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 28.5% in 2000.
What is the lowest share of children who have anemia recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 18.1% in 2014.
How does China rank for share of children who have anemia?
China ranks 145th out of 190 countries with data for 2019.
Is share of children who have anemia rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from Global Health Observatory / World Health Statistics - World Health Organization (WHO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children who have anemia. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children who have anemia in China. Statizoid, drawing on Global Health Observatory / World Health Statistics - World Health Organization (WHO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-anemia-in-children/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of children who have anemia
Unit
% of children under 5
Source
Global Health Observatory / World Health Statistics - World Health Organization (WHO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
190 places, 3,800 data points, 2000–2019
Last refreshed

Share of children under the age of five with anemia. Anemia is a condition that develops when your blood lacks enough healthy red blood cells or hemoglobin.