Share of children underweight in Afghanistan

Afghanistan: Share of children underweight was 18.4 in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
18.4
World rank
17th
of 96 countries
All-time high
44.9
in 1997
All-time low
18.4
in 2022
Years of data
5
1997–2022

Share of children underweight in Afghanistan, 1997–2022

0102030401997200920221997: 44.92004: 31.72013: 24.62018: 19.12022: 18.4

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Afghanistan recorded 18.4 for share of children underweight in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 25.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children underweight in Afghanistan peaked at 44.9 in 1997 and was at its lowest, 18.4, in 2022.

That places Afghanistan 17th out of 96 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

Share of children underweight in Afghanistan, year by year

Annual values for Share of children underweight in Afghanistan, 1997 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1997 44.9 —
2004 31.7 -29.4%
2013 24.6 -22.4%
2018 19.1 -22.4%
2022 18.4 -3.7%

Afghanistan compared with similar countries

  • Afghanistan's 18.4 is above the median for low income countries, which is 16.9, 1.1× the median. (21 countries reporting)
  • Afghanistan's 18.4 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 3.8, 4.8× the median. (16 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 44.9 44.9 44.9 1
2000s 31.7 31.7 31.7 1
2010s 21.85 19.1 24.6 2
2020s 18.4 18.4 18.4 1

Countries ranked near Afghanistan

  1. 14 Benin 19.6 compare
  2. 15 Myanmar 19.5 compare
  3. 16 Guinea-Bissau 18.8 compare
  4. 17 Central African Republic 18.4 compare
  5. 19 Nepal 18.3 compare
  6. 20 Chad 18.2 compare

See the full ranking of 96 places →

More reference data data for Afghanistan

All data for Afghanistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children underweight in Afghanistan?
Share of children underweight in Afghanistan was 18.4 in 2022, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children underweight recorded in Afghanistan?
The highest recorded value was 44.9 in 1997.
What is the lowest share of children underweight recorded in Afghanistan?
The lowest recorded value was 18.4 in 2022.
How does Afghanistan rank for share of children underweight?
Afghanistan ranks 17th out of 96 countries with data for 2022.
Is share of children underweight rising or falling in Afghanistan?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children underweight. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children underweight in Afghanistan. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 15 November 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-underweight/afghanistan/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of children underweight
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
96 places, 957 data points, 1984–2024
Last refreshed