Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Madagascar

Madagascar: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 318,250 in 2021. ▲ Rising

Latest (2021)
318,250
Change on year
up 20.3%
World rank
18th
of 99 countries
All-time high
491,530
in 2004
All-time low
147,920
in 1992
Years of data
9
1992–2021

Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Madagascar, 1992–2021

100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k1992200620211992: 147.9k1993: 392.5k1995: 231.5k1997: 243.8k2004: 491.5k2011: 212.4k2012: 284.2k2018: 264.5k2021: 318.2k

Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2021, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Madagascar stood at 318,250.

That represents a change of up 20.3% on the previous year and up 49.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Madagascar peaked at 491,530 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 147,920, in 1992.

Madagascar ranks 18th of 99 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 253,905 147,920 392,470 4
2000s 491,530 491,530 491,530 1
2010s 253,707 212,410 284,190 3
2020s 318,250 318,250 318,250 1

Countries ranked near Madagascar

  1. 15 Myanmar 334,130 compare
  2. 16 Tanzania 328,470 compare
  3. 17 Iran 326,020 compare
  4. 19 Vietnam 315,850 compare
  5. 20 Burkina Faso 314,730 compare
  6. 21 Kenya 314,190 compare

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More environment data for Madagascar

All data for Madagascar →

Frequently asked questions

What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Madagascar?
Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Madagascar was 318,250 in 2021, 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 Madagascar?
The highest recorded value was 491,530 in 2004.
What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Madagascar?
The lowest recorded value was 147,920 in 1992.
How does Madagascar rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
Madagascar ranks 18th out of 99 countries with data for 2021.
Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Madagascar?
Over the last ten years it is up 49.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Madagascar 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.

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About this data

Indicator
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
99 places, 962 data points, 1985–2024
Last refreshed

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.