Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight in Ecuador
Ecuador: Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight was 4.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight in Ecuador, 1986–2024
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 2024, malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in Ecuador stood at 4.9%.
That represents a change of up 14.0% on the previous year and down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in Ecuador peaked at 14.5% in 1986 and was at its lowest, 4.3%, in 2023.
Ecuador ranks 62nd of 96 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight in Ecuador, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 14.5% | — |
| 1999 | 10.4% | -28.3% |
| 2004 | 6.7% | -35.6% |
| 2006 | 6.8% | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 6.4% | -5.9% |
| 2014 | 5.1% | -20.3% |
| 2023 | 4.3% | -15.7% |
| 2024 | 4.9% | +14.0% |
Ecuador compared with similar countries
- Ecuador's 4.9% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.0%, 1.2× the median. (26 countries reporting)
- Ecuador's 4.9% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 3.7%, 1.3× the median. (17 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.5% | 14.5% | 14.5% | 1 |
| 1990s | 10.4% | 10.4% | 10.4% | 1 |
| 2000s | 6.8% | 6.7% | 6.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 5.8% | 5.1% | 6.4% | 2 |
| 2020s | 4.6% | 4.3% | 4.9% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Ecuador
- 59 Tajikistan 5.2% compare
- 60 El Salvador 5.0% compare
- 60 Eswatini 5.0% compare
- 62 South Africa 4.9% compare
- 64 Nicaragua 4.6% compare
- 65 Iran 4.3% compare
More reference data data for Ecuador
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9379 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.51 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 4.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1826 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 4.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.18 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 23.57 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.9943 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in Ecuador?
- Malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in Ecuador was 4.9% in 2024, 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 Ecuador?
- The highest recorded value was 14.5% in 1986.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: share of children who are underweight recorded in Ecuador?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.3% in 2023.
- How does Ecuador rank for malnutrition: share of children who are underweight?
- Ecuador ranks 62nd out of 96 countries with data for 2024.
- Is malnutrition: share of children who are underweight rising or falling in Ecuador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ecuador 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.