Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Mauritania
Mauritania: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 106,800 in 2022. ▲ Rising
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Mauritania, 1988–2022
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 Mauritania is 106,800, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
The figure is up 37.2% on the previous year and up 44.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Mauritania peaked at 106,800 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 35,910, in 1996.
That places Mauritania 47th out of 99 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Mauritania, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 62,510 | — |
| 1996 | 35,910 | -42.6% |
| 2000 | 67,090 | +86.8% |
| 2007 | 70,910 | +5.7% |
| 2008 | 43,820 | -38.2% |
| 2011 | 84,640 | +93.2% |
| 2012 | 73,960 | -12.6% |
| 2015 | 101,130 | +36.7% |
| 2018 | 83,390 | -17.5% |
| 2019 | 82,190 | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 48,360 | -41.2% |
| 2021 | 77,820 | +60.9% |
| 2022 | 106,800 | +37.2% |
Mauritania compared with similar countries
- Mauritania's 106,800 is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 112,895, 95% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Mauritania's 106,800 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 175,595, 61% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 62,510 | 62,510 | 62,510 | 1 |
| 1990s | 35,910 | 35,910 | 35,910 | 1 |
| 2000s | 60,607 | 43,820 | 70,910 | 3 |
| 2010s | 85,062 | 73,960 | 101,130 | 5 |
| 2020s | 77,660 | 48,360 | 106,800 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Mauritania
- 44 Zimbabwe 118,990 compare
- 45 Turkey 117,720 compare
- 46 Saudi Arabia 107,560 compare
- 48 Mexico 103,750 compare
- 49 Uzbekistan 94,880 compare
- 50 Tajikistan 85,350 compare
More environment data for Mauritania
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.465 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.85 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 1.9 % 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 0.4893 % 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 0.0349 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Mauritania?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Mauritania was 106,800 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 Mauritania?
- The highest recorded value was 106,800 in 2022.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Mauritania?
- The lowest recorded value was 35,910 in 1996.
- How does Mauritania rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
- Mauritania ranks 47th out of 99 countries with data for 2022.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Mauritania?
- Over the last ten years it is up 44.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Mauritania 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 — 13 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.