Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight in Thailand
Thailand: Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight was 6.7% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight in Thailand, 1987–2022
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
Thailand recorded 6.7% for malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.
The figure is down 13.0% on the previous year and down 27.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in Thailand peaked at 17.2% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 6.7%, in 2016.
Thailand ranks 58th of 96 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight in Thailand, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 17.2% | — |
| 1993 | 16.3% | -5.2% |
| 1995 | 15.4% | -5.5% |
| 2006 | 7.0% | -54.5% |
| 2012 | 9.2% | +31.4% |
| 2016 | 6.7% | -27.2% |
| 2019 | 7.7% | +14.9% |
| 2022 | 6.7% | -13.0% |
Thailand compared with similar countries
- Thailand's 6.7% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 4.0%, 1.7× the median. (26 countries reporting)
- Thailand's 6.7% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 15.3%, 44% of the median. (13 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 17.2% | 17.2% | 17.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 15.9% | 15.4% | 16.3% | 2 |
| 2000s | 7.0% | 7.0% | 7.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 7.9% | 6.7% | 9.2% | 3 |
| 2020s | 6.7% | 6.7% | 6.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Thailand
More reference data data for Thailand
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.89 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.08 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.08 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 5.58 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 7.72 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 10.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 65.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 7.92 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in Thailand?
- Malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in Thailand was 6.7% in 2022, 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 Thailand?
- The highest recorded value was 17.2% in 1987.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: share of children who are underweight recorded in Thailand?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.7% in 2016.
- How does Thailand rank for malnutrition: share of children who are underweight?
- Thailand ranks 58th out of 96 countries with data for 2022.
- Is malnutrition: share of children who are underweight rising or falling in Thailand?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Thailand 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.
Download this data
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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.