Share of children underweight in South Africa

South Africa: Share of children underweight was 4.9 in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
4.9
Change on year
down 16.9%
Rank
62nd
of 96 groups
All-time high
9.8
in 1999
All-time low
4.9
in 2017
Years of data
6
1994–2017

Share of children underweight in South Africa, 1994–2017

02468101994200520171994: 81999: 9.82008: 9.12015: 5.72016: 5.92017: 4.9

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2017, share of children underweight in South Africa stood at 4.9. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 16.9% on the previous year and down 46.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children underweight in South Africa peaked at 9.8 in 1999 and was at its lowest, 4.9, in 2017.

That places South Africa 62nd out of 96 groups with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 8.9 8 9.8 2
2000s 9.1 9.1 9.1 1
2010s 5.5 4.9 5.9 3

Countries ranked near South Africa

  1. 59 Tajikistan 5.2 compare
  2. 60 El Salvador 5 compare
  3. 60 Eswatini 5 compare
  4. 62 Ecuador 4.9 compare
  5. 64 Nicaragua 4.6 compare
  6. 65 Iran 4.3 compare

See the full ranking of 96 places →

More reference data data for South Africa

All data for South Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children underweight in South Africa?
Share of children underweight in South Africa was 4.9 in 2017, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children underweight recorded in South Africa?
The highest recorded value was 9.8 in 1999.
What is the lowest share of children underweight recorded in South Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 4.9 in 2017.
How does South Africa rank for share of children underweight?
South Africa ranks 62nd out of 96 groups with data for 2017.
Is share of children underweight rising or falling in South Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 46.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this South Africa 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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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