Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Benin

Benin: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 177,280 in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
177,280
Change on year
up 72.0%
World rank
34th
of 99 countries
All-time high
177,280
in 2021
All-time low
81,650
in 2008
Years of data
6
1996–2021

Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Benin, 1996–2021

050.0k100.0k150.0k200.0k1996200820211996: 175.5k2001: 118.6k2008: 81.7k2014: 84.2k2018: 103.1k2021: 177.3k

Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Benin is 177,280, measured in 2021. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 72.0% on the previous year and up 117.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Benin peaked at 177,280 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 81,650, in 2008.

That places Benin 34th out of 99 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 175,500 175,500 175,500 1
2000s 100,140 81,650 118,630 2
2010s 93,670 84,250 103,090 2
2020s 177,280 177,280 177,280 1

Countries ranked near Benin

  1. 31 Mozambique 210,790 compare
  2. 32 South Africa 203,910 compare
  3. 33 Nepal 196,430 compare
  4. 35 Cambodia 175,170 compare
  5. 36 Cameroon 173,910 compare
  6. 37 Burundi 170,550 compare

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More environment data for Benin

All data for Benin →

Frequently asked questions

What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Benin?
Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Benin was 177,280 in 2021, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Benin?
The highest recorded value was 177,280 in 2021.
What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Benin?
The lowest recorded value was 81,650 in 2008.
How does Benin rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
Benin ranks 34th out of 99 countries with data for 2021.
Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Benin?
Over the last ten years it is up 117.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Benin data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
99 places, 962 data points, 1985–2024
Last refreshed

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.