Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight in El Salvador
El Salvador: Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight was 5.0% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight in El Salvador, 1988–2021
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
The most recent figure for malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in El Salvador is 5.0%, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 25.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in El Salvador peaked at 11.1% in 1988 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 2014.
El Salvador ranks 60th of 96 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight in El Salvador, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 11.1% | — |
| 1993 | 8.0% | -27.9% |
| 1998 | 9.7% | +21.2% |
| 2003 | 6.1% | -37.1% |
| 2008 | 6.7% | +9.8% |
| 2014 | 5.0% | -25.4% |
| 2021 | 5.0% | +0.0% |
El Salvador compared with similar countries
- El Salvador's 5.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.0%, 1.2× the median. (26 countries reporting)
- El Salvador's 5.0% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 3.7%, 1.4× the median. (17 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 11.1% | 11.1% | 11.1% | 1 |
| 1990s | 8.8% | 8.0% | 9.7% | 2 |
| 2000s | 6.4% | 6.1% | 6.7% | 2 |
| 2010s | 5.0% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 1 |
| 2020s | 5.0% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near El Salvador
More reference data data for El Salvador
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2714 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 0.6267 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.0909 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 1.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.91 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.3176 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 8.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.4948 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in El Salvador?
- Malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in El Salvador was 5.0% 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 El Salvador?
- The highest recorded value was 11.1% in 1988.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: share of children who are underweight recorded in El Salvador?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 2014.
- How does El Salvador rank for malnutrition: share of children who are underweight?
- El Salvador ranks 60th out of 96 countries with data for 2021.
- Is malnutrition: share of children who are underweight rising or falling in El Salvador?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this El Salvador 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.