Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Iraq

Iraq: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 169,940 in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
169,940
World rank
38th
of 99 countries
All-time high
323,470
in 2011
All-time low
134,990
in 1991
Years of data
7
1991–2018

Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Iraq, 1991–2018

0100.0k200.0k300.0k1991200420181991: 135.0k2000: 266.9k2003: 240.7k2004: 301.6k2006: 258.0k2011: 323.5k2018: 169.9k

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 Iraq is 169,940, measured in 2018.

That represents a change of down 34.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Iraq peaked at 323,470 in 2011 and was at its lowest, 134,990, in 1991.

That places Iraq 38th out of 99 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 134,990 134,990 134,990 1
2000s 266,810 240,740 301,620 4
2010s 246,705 169,940 323,470 2

Countries ranked near Iraq

  1. 35 Cambodia 175,170 compare
  2. 36 Cameroon 173,910 compare
  3. 37 Burundi 170,550 compare
  4. 39 Sri Lanka 150,800 compare
  5. 40 Guinea 138,650 compare
  6. 41 Algeria 136,050 compare

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More environment data for Iraq

All data for Iraq →

Frequently asked questions

What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Iraq?
Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Iraq was 169,940 in 2018, 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 Iraq?
The highest recorded value was 323,470 in 2011.
What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Iraq?
The lowest recorded value was 134,990 in 1991.
How does Iraq rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
Iraq ranks 38th out of 99 countries with data for 2018.
Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Iraq?
Over the last ten years it is down 34.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iraq 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

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.