Share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting in India

India: Share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting was 18.7 in 2020. β–Ό Falling

Latest (2020)
18.7
Change on year
up 10.7%
World rank
1st
of 99 countries
All-time high
20.8
in 2015
All-time low
15.1
in 2014
Years of data
10
1989–2020

Share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting in India, 1989–2020

051015201989200420201989: 20.31991: 201992: 19.81997: 18.41999: 17.92006: 202014: 15.12015: 20.82017: 16.92020: 18.7

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting in India is 18.7, measured in 2020.

The figure is up 10.7% on the previous year and down 6.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting in India peaked at 20.8 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 15.1, in 2014.

India ranks 1st of 99 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 20.3 20.3 20.3 1
1990s 19.02 17.9 20 4
2000s 20 20 20 1
2010s 17.6 15.1 20.8 3
2020s 18.7 18.7 18.7 1

Countries ranked near India

  1. 2 Yemen 16.8 compare
  2. 3 Mauritania 13.6 compare
  3. 4 Djibouti 12.1 compare

See the full ranking of 99 places β†’

More reference data data for India

All data for India β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting in India?
Share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting in India was 18.7 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 20.8 in 2015.
What is the lowest share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 15.1 in 2014.
How does India rank for share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting?
India ranks 1st out of 99 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this India data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting in India. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-with-a-weight-too-low-for-their-height-wasting/india/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
99 places, 962 data points, 1984–2024
Last refreshed