Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight was 9.6% in 2024. ▬ Flat
Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight in Zimbabwe, 1987–2024
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
Zimbabwe recorded 9.6% for malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 14.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in Zimbabwe peaked at 14.0% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 8.0%, in 1988.
That places Zimbabwe 51st out of 96 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
Malnutrition: Share of children who are underweight in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 10.5% | — |
| 1988 | 8.0% | -23.8% |
| 1994 | 11.8% | +47.5% |
| 1999 | 11.5% | -2.5% |
| 2005 | 14.0% | +21.7% |
| 2009 | 11.7% | -16.4% |
| 2010 | 10.2% | -12.8% |
| 2012 | 11.1% | +8.8% |
| 2014 | 11.2% | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 8.5% | -24.1% |
| 2019 | 9.7% | +14.1% |
| 2024 | 9.6% | -1.0% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 9.6% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.6%, 83% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 9.6% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.3%, 67% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.2% | 8.0% | 10.5% | 2 |
| 1990s | 11.7% | 11.5% | 11.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 12.8% | 11.7% | 14.0% | 2 |
| 2010s | 10.1% | 8.5% | 11.2% | 5 |
| 2020s | 9.6% | 9.6% | 9.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More reference data data for Zimbabwe
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2024)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 122.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Consumer price index 11,077 2010 = 100 (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in Zimbabwe?
- Malnutrition: share of children who are underweight in Zimbabwe was 9.6% 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 14.0% in 2005.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: share of children who are underweight recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.0% in 1988.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for malnutrition: share of children who are underweight?
- Zimbabwe ranks 51st out of 96 countries with data for 2024.
- Is malnutrition: share of children who are underweight rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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.