Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Peru
Peru: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 16,150 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Peru, 1991–2023
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 Peru is 16,150, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 19.7% on the previous year and up 42.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Peru peaked at 60,150 in 1991 and was at its lowest, 10,800, in 2021.
That places Peru 75th out of 99 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Peru, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 60,150 | — |
| 1996 | 50,660 | -15.8% |
| 1997 | 28,350 | -44.0% |
| 1998 | 28,180 | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 34,220 | +21.4% |
| 2000 | 34,000 | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 30,660 | -9.8% |
| 2005 | 29,840 | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 23,800 | -20.2% |
| 2009 | 17,720 | -25.5% |
| 2010 | 20,470 | +15.5% |
| 2011 | 11,570 | -43.5% |
| 2012 | 17,160 | +48.3% |
| 2013 | 11,300 | -34.1% |
| 2014 | 16,760 | +48.3% |
| 2015 | 16,600 | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 16,450 | -0.9% |
| 2017 | 13,600 | -17.3% |
| 2018 | 13,560 | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 27,090 | +99.8% |
| 2020 | 10,820 | -60.1% |
| 2021 | 10,800 | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 13,490 | +24.9% |
| 2023 | 16,150 | +19.7% |
Peru compared with similar countries
- Peru's 16,150 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 58,235, 28% of the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Peru's 16,150 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 15,610, 1.0× the median. (17 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 40,312 | 28,180 | 60,150 | 5 |
| 2000s | 27,204 | 17,720 | 34,000 | 5 |
| 2010s | 16,456 | 11,300 | 27,090 | 10 |
| 2020s | 12,815 | 10,800 | 16,150 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Peru
More environment data for Peru
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 0.4511 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 3.13 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.295 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.18 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 4.59 % 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 0.1844 % 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 Peru?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Peru was 16,150 in 2023, 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 Peru?
- The highest recorded value was 60,150 in 1991.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Peru?
- The lowest recorded value was 10,800 in 2021.
- How does Peru rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
- Peru ranks 75th out of 99 countries with data for 2023.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Peru?
- Over the last ten years it is up 42.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Peru 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 — 24 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.