Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Niger
Niger: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 497,560 in 2022. ▲ Rising
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Niger, 1985–2022
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 Niger is 497,560, measured in 2022.
That represents a change of down 3.4% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Niger peaked at 597,700 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 325,680, in 1992.
Niger ranks 11th of 99 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 20 years of available data.
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Niger, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 362,800 | — |
| 1992 | 325,680 | -10.2% |
| 1998 | 491,280 | +50.8% |
| 2000 | 380,510 | -22.5% |
| 2006 | 341,070 | -10.4% |
| 2007 | 380,970 | +11.7% |
| 2008 | 435,790 | +14.4% |
| 2009 | 408,720 | -6.2% |
| 2010 | 534,460 | +30.8% |
| 2011 | 433,450 | -18.9% |
| 2012 | 483,440 | +11.5% |
| 2013 | 461,200 | -4.6% |
| 2014 | 543,820 | +17.9% |
| 2015 | 535,550 | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 420,570 | -21.5% |
| 2018 | 597,700 | +42.1% |
| 2019 | 423,800 | -29.1% |
| 2020 | 528,500 | +24.7% |
| 2021 | 515,260 | -2.5% |
| 2022 | 497,560 | -3.4% |
Niger compared with similar countries
- Niger's 497,560 is above the median for low income countries, which is 229,410, 2.2× the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Niger's 497,560 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 175,595, 2.8× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 362,800 | 362,800 | 362,800 | 1 |
| 1990s | 408,480 | 325,680 | 491,280 | 2 |
| 2000s | 389,412 | 341,070 | 435,790 | 5 |
| 2010s | 492,666 | 420,570 | 597,700 | 9 |
| 2020s | 513,773 | 497,560 | 528,500 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Niger
More environment data for Niger
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 4.49 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 1.65 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.334 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.05 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.68 % 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 2.69 % 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 Niger?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Niger was 497,560 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 Niger?
- The highest recorded value was 597,700 in 2018.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Niger?
- The lowest recorded value was 325,680 in 1992.
- How does Niger rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
- Niger ranks 11th out of 99 countries with data for 2022.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Niger?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Niger 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 — 20 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.