Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Malawi
Malawi: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 76,510 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Malawi, 1992–2020
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 76,510 for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 30.8% on the previous year and down 29.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Malawi peaked at 177,250 in 1998 and was at its lowest, 43,370, in 2018.
Malawi ranks 53rd of 99 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 16 years of available data.
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 125,330 | — |
| 1995 | 161,010 | +28.5% |
| 1998 | 177,250 | +10.1% |
| 2000 | 140,810 | -20.6% |
| 2002 | 136,210 | -3.3% |
| 2004 | 143,210 | +5.1% |
| 2006 | 101,580 | -29.1% |
| 2009 | 50,390 | -50.4% |
| 2010 | 108,560 | +115.4% |
| 2014 | 108,220 | -0.3% |
| 2015 | 80,130 | -26.0% |
| 2016 | 117,680 | +46.9% |
| 2017 | 74,850 | -36.4% |
| 2018 | 43,370 | -42.1% |
| 2019 | 110,620 | +155.1% |
| 2020 | 76,510 | -30.8% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 76,510 is below the median for low income countries, which is 229,410, 33% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 76,510 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 175,595, 44% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 154,530 | 125,330 | 177,250 | 3 |
| 2000s | 114,440 | 50,390 | 143,210 | 5 |
| 2010s | 91,919 | 43,370 | 117,680 | 7 |
| 2020s | 76,510 | 76,510 | 76,510 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More environment data for Malawi
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -0.9153 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -0.8098 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.254 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.07 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.65 % 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 5.3 % 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 Malawi?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Malawi was 76,510 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 177,250 in 1998.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 43,370 in 2018.
- How does Malawi rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
- Malawi ranks 53rd out of 99 countries with data for 2020.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 29.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi 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 — 16 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.