Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Jamaica
Jamaica: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 5,720 in 2018. ▼ Falling
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Jamaica, 1989–2018
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Jamaica recorded 5,720 for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 7.6% on the previous year and down 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Jamaica peaked at 16,220 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 5,720, in 2018.
That places Jamaica 89th out of 99 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 22 years of available data.
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 9,490 | — |
| 1991 | 16,220 | +70.9% |
| 1992 | 8,030 | -50.5% |
| 1993 | 13,260 | +65.1% |
| 1994 | 9,140 | -31.1% |
| 1995 | 14,700 | +60.8% |
| 1996 | 7,630 | -48.1% |
| 1997 | 6,630 | -13.1% |
| 1998 | 7,680 | +15.8% |
| 1999 | 6,910 | -10.0% |
| 2000 | 8,380 | +21.3% |
| 2001 | 8,660 | +3.3% |
| 2002 | 6,300 | -27.3% |
| 2004 | 11,290 | +79.2% |
| 2006 | 9,030 | -20.0% |
| 2007 | 6,490 | -28.1% |
| 2008 | 5,890 | -9.2% |
| 2010 | 10,750 | +82.5% |
| 2012 | 6,330 | -41.1% |
| 2014 | 7,140 | +12.8% |
| 2016 | 6,190 | -13.3% |
| 2018 | 5,720 | -7.6% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 5,720 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 58,235, 10% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 5,720 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 15,610, 37% of the median. (17 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9,490 | 9,490 | 9,490 | 1 |
| 1990s | 10,022 | 6,630 | 16,220 | 9 |
| 2000s | 8,006 | 5,890 | 11,290 | 7 |
| 2010s | 7,226 | 5,720 | 10,750 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More environment data for Jamaica
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -2.93 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -3.15 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.284 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.76 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 4.23 % 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 -0.7158 % 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 Jamaica?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Jamaica was 5,720 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 Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 16,220 in 1991.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,720 in 2018.
- How does Jamaica rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
- Jamaica ranks 89th out of 99 countries with data for 2018.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Jamaica 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 — 22 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.