Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Nigeria
Nigeria: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 3.86 million in 2021. ▬ Flat
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Nigeria, 1990–2021
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Nigeria recorded 3.86 million for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in 2021. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
That represents a change of up 78.2% on the previous year and up 24.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Nigeria peaked at 3.86 million in 2021 and was at its lowest, 2.03 million, in 1990.
That places Nigeria 2nd out of 99 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top 10%.
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 2.03 million | — |
| 1993 | 3.83 million | +88.7% |
| 2003 | 2.74 million | -28.4% |
| 2011 | 3.11 million | +13.6% |
| 2014 | 2.56 million | -17.8% |
| 2015 | 2.40 million | -6.3% |
| 2016 | 3.58 million | +49.4% |
| 2018 | 2.27 million | -36.5% |
| 2020 | 2.16 million | -4.8% |
| 2021 | 3.86 million | +78.2% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 3.86 million is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 112,895, 34.2× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 3.86 million is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 175,595, 22.0× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 2.93 million | 2.03 million | 3.83 million | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.74 million | 2.74 million | 2.74 million | 1 |
| 2010s | 2.78 million | 2.27 million | 3.58 million | 5 |
| 2020s | 3.01 million | 2.16 million | 3.86 million | 2 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
More environment data for Nigeria
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly -5.73 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly -5.07 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.281 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.15 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 3.78 % 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 0.4617 % 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 Nigeria?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Nigeria was 3.86 million in 2021, 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 Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 3.86 million in 2021.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.03 million in 1990.
- How does Nigeria rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
- Nigeria ranks 2nd out of 99 countries with data for 2021.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Nigeria 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 — 10 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.