Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in South Korea
South Korea: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 3,500 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in South Korea, 2003–2020
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
South Korea recorded 3,500 for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 81.5% on the previous year and down 69.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in South Korea peaked at 25,620 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 3,500, in 2020.
That places South Korea 95th out of 99 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 20,640 | 15,660 | 25,620 | 2 |
| 2010s | 14,657 | 11,390 | 18,940 | 3 |
| 2020s | 3,500 | 3,500 | 3,500 | 1 |
Countries ranked near South Korea
More environment data for South Korea
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF 668.25 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF per capita 12.91 t CO2e/capita (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture 21.02 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) 0.3304 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Fugitive Emissions (Energy) 3.86 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Industrial Combustion (Energy) 0.1549 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions (total) excluding LULUCF 44.74 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Power Industry (Energy) 0.2523 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Transport (Energy) 0.2291 Mt CO2e (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Waste 18.6 Mt CO2e (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in South Korea?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in South Korea was 3,500 in 2020, 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 South Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 25,620 in 2003.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in South Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,500 in 2020.
- How does South Korea rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
- South Korea ranks 95th out of 99 countries with data for 2020.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in South Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 69.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Korea 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 — 6 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.