Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Gambia
Gambia: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 19,160 in 2020. ▬ Flat
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Gambia, 2000–2020
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 Gambia is 19,160, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
The figure is down 18.1% on the previous year and down 39.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Gambia peaked at 39,460 in 2013 and was at its lowest, 19,160, in 2020.
That places Gambia 73rd out of 99 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Gambia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 24,040 | — |
| 2006 | 21,880 | -9.0% |
| 2010 | 31,430 | +43.6% |
| 2012 | 33,180 | +5.6% |
| 2013 | 39,460 | +18.9% |
| 2018 | 23,390 | -40.7% |
| 2020 | 19,160 | -18.1% |
Gambia compared with similar countries
- Gambia's 19,160 is below the median for low income countries, which is 229,410, 8% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Gambia's 19,160 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 175,595, 11% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 22,960 | 21,880 | 24,040 | 2 |
| 2010s | 31,865 | 23,390 | 39,460 | 4 |
| 2020s | 19,160 | 19,160 | 19,160 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Gambia
More environment data for Gambia
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -4.15 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.18 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.366 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.36 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 0.9281 % change on previous year (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per unit 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), annual growth rate -1.52 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Gambia?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Gambia was 19,160 in 2020, 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 Gambia?
- The highest recorded value was 39,460 in 2013.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Gambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 19,160 in 2020.
- How does Gambia rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
- Gambia ranks 73rd out of 99 countries with data for 2020.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Gambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 39.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Gambia 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 — 7 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.