Children under 5 with low weight-for-height by world region, 2024.
Under-5 wasting prevalence is compared across world regions for 2024. The data use six regional percentage rows, with each region’s children under 5 as the denominator. Asia had the highest rate at 9.1%, while Northern America had the lowest reported row at 0.2%. The values come from the UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates source family, and the regional frame does not include a Europe row for wasting.
| Rank | Entry | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Asia | 9.1% | 2024 |
| 2 | Oceania excl. Australia/NZ | 8.4% | 2024 |
| 3 | Africa | 5.4% | 2024 |
| 4 | Latin America & Caribbean | 1.3% | 2024 |
| 5 | Australia & New Zealand | 0.3% | 2024 |
| 6 | Northern America | 0.2% | 2024 |
Source 1: World Bank World Development Indicators
Publisher: UNICEF / WHO / World Bank
Dataset/table: World Development Indicators
Units: % of children under 5
Date checked: 2026-05-26
Evidence: Supports 2024 regional wasting prevalence rows.
Source 2: World Health Organization Global Health Observatory
Publisher: World Health Organization
Dataset/table: Global Health Observatory
Units: % and number of children under 5
Date checked: 2026-05-26
Evidence: Supports the 2024 global wasting benchmark and JME definitions.
Wasting means weight-for-height below minus two standard deviations from WHO child growth standards. The regional row set follows the JME wasting frame and does not impute a Europe value.
Rows use the 2025 UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates release. Values are plotted as percentages of children under 5 in each region for 2024; comparison metrics use rounded source percentages.
Rows use the same JME source family, year and unit. Source status remains source-labelled because the regional values are compiled institutional values rather than final administrative counts.
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