Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight in Benin
Benin: Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight was 19.6% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight in Benin, 1996–2021
Source: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) - UNICEF, WHO, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 5.
Analysis
In 2021, malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in Benin stood at 19.6%.
The figure is up 16.7% on the previous year and up 14.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in Benin peaked at 25.6% in 1996 and was at its lowest, 16.8%, in 2018.
That places Benin 14th out of 96 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 25.6% | 25.6% | 25.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 18.3% | 17.1% | 19.5% | 2 |
| 2010s | 17.4% | 16.8% | 18.0% | 2 |
| 2020s | 19.6% | 19.6% | 19.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Benin
- 11 Mauritania 22.4% compare
- 12 Bangladesh 21.7% compare
- 13 Ethiopia 21.2% compare
- 15 Myanmar 19.5% compare
- 16 Guinea-Bissau 18.8% compare
- 17 Afghanistan 18.4% compare
- 17 Central African Republic 18.4% compare
More reference data data for Benin
- Spring temperature anomalies 0.1837 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.3347 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 1.48 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.2392 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies 1.5 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 123.58 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 0 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in Benin?
- Malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in Benin was 19.6% in 2021, according to Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) - UNICEF, WHO, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest malnutrition: share of children who are underweight recorded in Benin?
- The highest recorded value was 25.6% in 1996.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: share of children who are underweight recorded in Benin?
- The lowest recorded value was 16.8% in 2018.
- How does Benin rank for malnutrition: share of children who are underweight?
- Benin ranks 14th out of 96 countries with data for 2021.
- Is malnutrition: share of children who are underweight rising or falling in Benin?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Benin data come from?
- The figures come from Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) - UNICEF, WHO, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of children younger than five years old whose weight for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population for ages 0-59 months.