Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in China
China: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 1.72 million in 2017. ▼ Falling
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in China, 1987–2017
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2017, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in China stood at 1.72 million.
The figure is down 19.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in China peaked at 5.52 million in 1987 and was at its lowest, 1.71 million, in 2013.
That places China 6th out of 99 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.52 million | 5.52 million | 5.52 million | 1 |
| 1990s | 4.35 million | 2.15 million | 5.35 million | 4 |
| 2000s | 2.25 million | 2.13 million | 2.48 million | 5 |
| 2010s | 1.80 million | 1.71 million | 1.97 million | 3 |
Countries ranked near China
More environment data for China
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 15,536 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 11.03 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 498.98 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 32.75 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 736.76 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 3.9 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 1,485 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 4.13 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 5.54 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 195.67 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in China?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in China was 1.72 million in 2017, 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 China?
- The highest recorded value was 5.52 million in 1987.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.71 million in 2013.
- How does China rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
- China ranks 6th out of 99 countries with data for 2017.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.