Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Lesotho
Lesotho: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 4,210 in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Lesotho, 1992–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Lesotho recorded 4,210 for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
That represents a change of down 45.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Lesotho peaked at 64,740 in 1993 and was at its lowest, 4,210, in 2024.
Lesotho ranks 92nd of 99 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Lesotho, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 9,360 | — |
| 1993 | 64,740 | +591.7% |
| 2004 | 14,220 | -78.0% |
| 2009 | 9,760 | -31.4% |
| 2014 | 7,780 | -20.3% |
| 2018 | 5,960 | -23.4% |
| 2024 | 4,210 | -29.4% |
Lesotho compared with similar countries
- Lesotho's 4,210 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 112,895, 4% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Lesotho's 4,210 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 175,595, 2% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 37,050 | 9,360 | 64,740 | 2 |
| 2000s | 11,990 | 9,760 | 14,220 | 2 |
| 2010s | 6,870 | 5,960 | 7,780 | 2 |
| 2020s | 4,210 | 4,210 | 4,210 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Lesotho
More environment data for Lesotho
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.284 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 0.783 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual -0.521 % 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 -2.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per unit of GDP 0 Mt CO2e per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Agriculture (Mt CO2e), per capita 0 Mt CO2e per person (2024)
- Methane (CH4) emissions from Building (Energy) (Mt CO2e), annual -0.4197 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Lesotho?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Lesotho was 4,210 in 2024, 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 Lesotho?
- The highest recorded value was 64,740 in 1993.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Lesotho?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,210 in 2024.
- How does Lesotho rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
- Lesotho ranks 92nd out of 99 countries with data for 2024.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Lesotho?
- Over the last ten years it is down 45.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Lesotho 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
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.