Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Nepal

Nepal: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 196,430 in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
196,430
Change on year
down 43.2%
World rank
33rd
of 99 countries
All-time high
480,610
in 1996
All-time low
196,430
in 2022
Years of data
11
1995–2022

Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Nepal, 1995–2022

0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k500.0k1995200820221995: 212.7k1996: 480.6k1998: 285.4k2001: 403.2k2006: 420.1k2010: 420.3k2011: 338.7k2014: 333.2k2016: 285.3k2019: 345.9k2022: 196.4k

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

Analysis

In 2022, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Nepal stood at 196,430. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 43.2% on the previous year and down 42.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Nepal peaked at 480,610 in 1996 and was at its lowest, 196,430, in 2022.

That places Nepal 33rd out of 99 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 326,257 212,730 480,610 3
2000s 411,620 403,170 420,070 2
2010s 344,684 285,280 420,290 5
2020s 196,430 196,430 196,430 1

Countries ranked near Nepal

  1. 30 Mali 229,410 compare
  2. 31 Mozambique 210,790 compare
  3. 32 South Africa 203,910 compare
  4. 34 Benin 177,280 compare
  5. 35 Cambodia 175,170 compare
  6. 36 Cameroon 173,910 compare

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More environment data for Nepal

All data for Nepal →

Frequently asked questions

What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Nepal?
Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Nepal was 196,430 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 Nepal?
The highest recorded value was 480,610 in 1996.
What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Nepal?
The lowest recorded value was 196,430 in 2022.
How does Nepal rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
Nepal ranks 33rd out of 99 countries with data for 2022.
Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Nepal?
Over the last ten years it is down 42.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Nepal 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.