Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Malaysia

Malaysia: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 259,590 in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
259,590
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
23rd
of 99 countries
All-time high
407,860
in 1999
All-time low
210,360
in 2015
Years of data
6
1999–2022

Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Malaysia, 1999–2022

0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k1999201020221999: 407.9k2006: 345.5k2015: 210.4k2016: 307.2k2019: 260.1k2022: 259.6k

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Malaysia is 259,590, measured in 2022.

That represents a change of down 0.2% on the previous year and up 23.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Malaysia peaked at 407,860 in 1999 and was at its lowest, 210,360, in 2015.

That places Malaysia 23rd out of 99 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 407,860 407,860 407,860 1
2000s 345,460 345,460 345,460 1
2010s 259,207 210,360 307,200 3
2020s 259,590 259,590 259,590 1

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 20 Burkina Faso 314,730 compare
  2. 21 Kenya 314,190 compare
  3. 22 Chad 267,670 compare
  4. 24 Senegal 250,070 compare
  5. 25 Uganda 249,160 compare
  6. 26 Ghana 243,860 compare

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More environment data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Malaysia?
Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Malaysia was 259,590 in 2022, 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 Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 407,860 in 1999.
What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 210,360 in 2015.
How does Malaysia rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
Malaysia ranks 23rd out of 99 countries with data for 2022.
Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 23.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Malaysia 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

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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.