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

Zambia: Share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting was 4.2 in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
4.2
World rank
50th
of 99 countries
All-time high
6.3
in 1992
All-time low
4.2
in 2018
Years of data
7
1992–2018

Share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting in Zambia, 1992–2018

02461992200520181992: 6.31996: 5.31999: 5.92002: 6.22007: 5.62013: 6.22018: 4.2

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

Zambia recorded 4.2 for share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.

The figure is down 25.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting in Zambia peaked at 6.3 in 1992 and was at its lowest, 4.2, in 2018.

That places Zambia 50th out of 99 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting in Zambia, year by year

Annual values for Share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting in Zambia, 1992 to 2018.
Year Value Change
1992 6.3
1996 5.3 -15.9%
1999 5.9 +11.3%
2002 6.2 +5.1%
2007 5.6 -9.7%
2013 6.2 +10.7%
2018 4.2 -32.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 5.83 5.3 6.3 3
2000s 5.9 5.6 6.2 2
2010s 5.2 4.2 6.2 2

Countries ranked near Zambia

  1. 48 Cameroon 4.3 compare
  2. 48 Iran, Islamic Republic of 4.3 compare
  3. 51 Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of 4.1 compare
  4. 52 Saudi Arabia 3.9 compare
  5. 53 Mozambique 3.8 compare

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More reference data data for Zambia

All data for Zambia →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting in Zambia?
Share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting in Zambia was 4.2 in 2018, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting recorded in Zambia?
The highest recorded value was 6.3 in 1992.
What is the lowest share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting recorded in Zambia?
The lowest recorded value was 4.2 in 2018.
How does Zambia rank for share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting?
Zambia ranks 50th out of 99 countries with data for 2018.
Is share of children with a weight too low for their height wasting rising or falling in Zambia?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Zambia 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 Zambia. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-with-a-weight-too-low-for-their-height-wasting/zambia/

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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