India vs Nigeria: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted
India
22.17 million
in 2020
Nigeria
3.86 million
in 2021
India rank
1st
Nigeria rank
2nd
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted over time
- India
- Nigeria
How they compare
India currently reports 22.17 million against 3.86 million in Nigeria, a difference of 18.32 million.
That makes India's figure about 5.7 times Nigeria's.
India ranks 1st and Nigeria ranks 2nd of 99 countries.
India has averaged higher in every one of the 2 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | India | Nigeria | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 22.46 million | 2.48 million | 19.99 million | India |
| 2020s | 22.17 million | 2.16 million | 20.01 million | India |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher malnutrition: number of children who are wasted, India or Nigeria?
- India, at 22.17 million against 3.86 million in Nigeria as of 2020.
- What is the difference in malnutrition: number of children who are wasted between India and Nigeria?
- 18.32 million, with India ahead.
- How do India and Nigeria rank globally for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
- India ranks 1st and Nigeria ranks 2nd of 99 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Estimated number of children younger than five who are 'wasted'. Wasting is when a child’s weight is significantly lower than the average for their height, for example because of acute food shortage or disease.