Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Pakistan

Pakistan: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 2.19 million in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
2.19 million
World rank
3rd
of 99 countries
All-time high
4.40 million
in 2011
All-time low
2.19 million
in 2018
Years of data
7
1986–2018

Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Pakistan, 1986–2018

01.0M2.0M3.0M4.0M1986200220181986: 4.4M1991: 2.6M1992: 3.7M2001: 3.5M2011: 4.4M2013: 3.2M2018: 2.2M

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

Analysis

Pakistan recorded 2.19 million for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in 2018. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.

The figure is down 50.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Pakistan peaked at 4.40 million in 2011 and was at its lowest, 2.19 million, in 2018.

Pakistan ranks 3rd of 99 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 4.35 million 4.35 million 4.35 million 1
1990s 3.19 million 2.65 million 3.74 million 2
2000s 3.53 million 3.53 million 3.53 million 1
2010s 3.27 million 2.19 million 4.40 million 3

Countries ranked near Pakistan

  1. 1 India 22.17 million compare
  2. 2 Nigeria 3.86 million compare
  3. 4 Indonesia 1.88 million compare
  4. 5 Bangladesh 1.74 million compare
  5. 6 China 1.72 million compare

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More environment data for Pakistan

All data for Pakistan →

Frequently asked questions

What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Pakistan?
Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Pakistan was 2.19 million in 2018, 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 Pakistan?
The highest recorded value was 4.40 million in 2011.
What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Pakistan?
The lowest recorded value was 2.19 million in 2018.
How does Pakistan rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
Pakistan ranks 3rd out of 99 countries with data for 2018.
Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Pakistan?
Over the last ten years it is down 50.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Pakistan 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.

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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.