Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Guatemala

Guatemala: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 15,610 in 2021. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2021)
15,610
World rank
76th
of 99 countries
All-time high
69,650
in 2000
All-time low
15,610
in 2021
Years of data
8
1987–2021

Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Guatemala, 1987–2021

20.0k40.0k60.0k1987200420211987: 35.4k1995: 66.5k1999: 54.0k2000: 69.7k2002: 36.4k2009: 19.3k2015: 15.9k2021: 15.6k

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

Analysis

Guatemala recorded 15,610 for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

The figure is down 19.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Guatemala peaked at 69,650 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 15,610, in 2021.

That places Guatemala 76th out of 99 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 35,380 35,380 35,380 1
1990s 60,285 54,030 66,540 2
2000s 41,787 19,300 69,650 3
2010s 15,930 15,930 15,930 1
2020s 15,610 15,610 15,610 1

Countries ranked near Guatemala

  1. 73 Gambia 19,160 compare
  2. 74 United States 18,790 compare
  3. 75 Peru 16,150 compare
  4. 77 United Kingdom 15,530 compare
  5. 78 Nicaragua 14,860 compare
  6. 79 El Salvador 14,670 compare

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More environment data for Guatemala

All data for Guatemala →

Frequently asked questions

What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Guatemala?
Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Guatemala was 15,610 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 Guatemala?
The highest recorded value was 69,650 in 2000.
What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Guatemala?
The lowest recorded value was 15,610 in 2021.
How does Guatemala rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
Guatemala ranks 76th out of 99 countries with data for 2021.
Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Guatemala?
Over the last ten years it is down 19.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Guatemala 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.