Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Kenya
Kenya: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 314,190 in 2022. ▲ Rising
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Kenya, 1987–2022
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 Kenya is 314,190, measured in 2022.
The figure is down 25.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Kenya peaked at 467,010 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 224,620, in 1987.
Kenya ranks 21st of 99 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 224,620 | — |
| 1993 | 328,700 | +46.3% |
| 1994 | 318,400 | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 377,200 | +18.5% |
| 2000 | 393,070 | +4.2% |
| 2003 | 360,360 | -8.3% |
| 2005 | 424,200 | +17.7% |
| 2008 | 458,400 | +8.1% |
| 2011 | 422,890 | -7.7% |
| 2014 | 296,650 | -29.9% |
| 2016 | 467,010 | +57.4% |
| 2022 | 314,190 | -32.7% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 314,190 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 112,895, 2.8× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 314,190 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 175,595, 1.8× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 224,620 | 224,620 | 224,620 | 1 |
| 1990s | 341,433 | 318,400 | 377,200 | 3 |
| 2000s | 409,008 | 360,360 | 458,400 | 4 |
| 2010s | 395,517 | 296,650 | 467,010 | 3 |
| 2020s | 314,190 | 314,190 | 314,190 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More environment data for Kenya
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -8.08 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -4.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.27 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.12 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.25 % 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 2.87 % 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 Kenya?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Kenya was 314,190 in 2022, 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 Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 467,010 in 2016.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 224,620 in 1987.
- How does Kenya rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
- Kenya ranks 21st out of 99 countries with data for 2022.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya 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 — 12 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.