Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Iran

Iran: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 326,020 in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
326,020
World rank
17th
of 99 countries
All-time high
617,930
in 1995
All-time low
256,690
in 2010
Years of data
5
1995–2017

Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Iran, 1995–2017

0200.0k400.0k600.0k1995200620171995: 617.9k1998: 353.1k2004: 258.8k2010: 256.7k2017: 326.0k

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 Iran stood at 326,020.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 26.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Iran peaked at 617,930 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 256,690, in 2010.

Iran ranks 17th of 99 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 485,525 353,120 617,930 2
2000s 258,790 258,790 258,790 1
2010s 291,355 256,690 326,020 2

Countries ranked near Iran

  1. 14 Syria 348,130 compare
  2. 15 Myanmar 334,130 compare
  3. 16 Tanzania 328,470 compare
  4. 18 Madagascar 318,250 compare
  5. 19 Vietnam 315,850 compare
  6. 20 Burkina Faso 314,730 compare

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More environment data for Iran

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Iran?
Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Iran was 326,020 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 Iran?
The highest recorded value was 617,930 in 1995.
What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Iran?
The lowest recorded value was 256,690 in 2010.
How does Iran rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
Iran ranks 17th out of 99 countries with data for 2017.
Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Iran?
Over the last ten years it is up 26.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Iran 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.