Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Colombia

Colombia: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 56,070 in 2016. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2016)
56,070
World rank
58th
of 99 countries
All-time high
152,200
in 1988
All-time low
35,080
in 2010
Years of data
7
1986–2016

Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Colombia, 1986–2016

25.0k50.0k75.0k100.0k125.0k150.0k1986200120161986: 51.7k1988: 152.2k1995: 74.2k2000: 43.2k2005: 66.8k2010: 35.1k2016: 56.1k

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

Analysis

In 2016, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Colombia stood at 56,070.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 16.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Colombia peaked at 152,200 in 1988 and was at its lowest, 35,080, in 2010.

Colombia ranks 58th of 99 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 101,940 51,680 152,200 2
1990s 74,150 74,150 74,150 1
2000s 55,015 43,220 66,810 2
2010s 45,575 35,080 56,070 2

Countries ranked near Colombia

  1. 55 Togo 70,720 compare
  2. 56 Haiti 61,780 compare
  3. 57 Kazakhstan 60,400 compare
  4. 59 Central African Republic 48,600 compare
  5. 60 North Korea 41,930 compare
  6. 61 Romania 38,900 compare

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More environment data for Colombia

All data for Colombia →

Frequently asked questions

What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Colombia?
Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Colombia was 56,070 in 2016, 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 Colombia?
The highest recorded value was 152,200 in 1988.
What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Colombia?
The lowest recorded value was 35,080 in 2010.
How does Colombia rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
Colombia ranks 58th out of 99 countries with data for 2016.
Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Colombia?
Over the last ten years it is down 16.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Colombia 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

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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.