Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Kuwait
Kuwait: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 9,310 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Kuwait, 1996–2023
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2023, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Kuwait stood at 9,310.
That represents a change of up 1.0% on the previous year and up 11.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Kuwait peaked at 9,480 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 3,550, in 1996.
That places Kuwait 86th out of 99 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Kuwait, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 | 3,550 | — |
| 2001 | 4,290 | +20.8% |
| 2002 | 4,460 | +4.0% |
| 2003 | 5,210 | +16.8% |
| 2004 | 6,670 | +28.0% |
| 2005 | 6,540 | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 6,310 | -3.5% |
| 2007 | 7,880 | +24.9% |
| 2008 | 5,490 | -30.3% |
| 2009 | 4,500 | -18.0% |
| 2010 | 6,260 | +39.1% |
| 2011 | 4,630 | -26.0% |
| 2012 | 6,850 | +47.9% |
| 2013 | 8,380 | +22.3% |
| 2014 | 7,810 | -6.8% |
| 2015 | 9,480 | +21.4% |
| 2016 | 7,160 | -24.5% |
| 2017 | 7,390 | +3.2% |
| 2018 | 6,680 | -9.6% |
| 2019 | 5,010 | -25.0% |
| 2020 | 5,300 | +5.8% |
| 2021 | 8,690 | +64.0% |
| 2022 | 9,220 | +6.1% |
| 2023 | 9,310 | +1.0% |
Kuwait compared with similar countries
- Kuwait's 9,310 is below the median for high income countries, which is 12,420, 75% of the median. (12 countries reporting)
- Kuwait's 9,310 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 121,805, 8% of the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3,550 | 3,550 | 3,550 | 1 |
| 2000s | 5,706 | 4,290 | 7,880 | 9 |
| 2010s | 6,965 | 4,630 | 9,480 | 10 |
| 2020s | 8,130 | 5,300 | 9,310 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kuwait
More environment data for Kuwait
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -57.51 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -61.88 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.516 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.95 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.24 % 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 1.84 % 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 Kuwait?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Kuwait was 9,310 in 2023, 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 Kuwait?
- The highest recorded value was 9,480 in 2015.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Kuwait?
- The lowest recorded value was 3,550 in 1996.
- How does Kuwait rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
- Kuwait ranks 86th out of 99 countries with data for 2023.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Kuwait?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kuwait 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 — 24 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.