Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Indonesia

Indonesia: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 1.88 million in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
1.88 million
Change on year
up 11.3%
World rank
4th
of 99 countries
All-time high
3.46 million
in 2008
All-time low
1.23 million
in 2001
Years of data
12
1996–2023

Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Indonesia, 1996–2023

01.0M2.0M3.0M1996200920231996: 3.3M2000: 1.3M2001: 1.2M2004: 3.2M2008: 3.5M2010: 2.9M2013: 3.3M2018: 2.5M2019: 2.0M2021: 1.6M2022: 1.7M2023: 1.9M

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

Analysis

Indonesia recorded 1.88 million for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in 2023.

The figure is up 11.3% on the previous year and down 43.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Indonesia peaked at 3.46 million in 2008 and was at its lowest, 1.23 million, in 2001.

That places Indonesia 4th out of 99 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 12 years of available data.

Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Indonesia, year by year

Annual values for Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Indonesia, 1996 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1996 3.34 million
2000 1.26 million -62.4%
2001 1.23 million -2.2%
2004 3.24 million +163.6%
2008 3.46 million +7.0%
2010 2.94 million -15.2%
2013 3.31 million +12.7%
2018 2.47 million -25.3%
2019 2.00 million -19.3%
2021 1.61 million -19.3%
2022 1.69 million +4.7%
2023 1.88 million +11.3%

Indonesia compared with similar countries

  • Indonesia's 1.88 million is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 58,235, 32.2× the median. (28 countries reporting)
  • Indonesia's 1.88 million is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 229,510, 8.2× the median. (13 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 3.34 million 3.34 million 3.34 million 1
2000s 2.30 million 1.23 million 3.46 million 4
2010s 2.68 million 2.00 million 3.31 million 4
2020s 1.72 million 1.61 million 1.88 million 3

Countries ranked near Indonesia

  1. 1 India 22.17 million compare
  2. 2 Nigeria 3.86 million compare
  3. 3 Pakistan 2.19 million compare
  4. 5 Bangladesh 1.74 million compare
  5. 6 China 1.72 million compare
  6. 7 Democratic Republic of Congo 1.39 million compare

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More environment data for Indonesia

All data for Indonesia →

Frequently asked questions

What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Indonesia?
Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Indonesia was 1.88 million in 2023, 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 Indonesia?
The highest recorded value was 3.46 million in 2008.
What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Indonesia?
The lowest recorded value was 1.23 million in 2001.
How does Indonesia rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
Indonesia ranks 4th out of 99 countries with data for 2023.
Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Indonesia?
Over the last ten years it is down 43.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Indonesia 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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Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Indonesia. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://environment.statizoid.com/stat/number-children-wasted-who/indonesia/

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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.