Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Uruguay

Uruguay: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 3,170 in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
3,170
Change on year
up 68.6%
World rank
97th
of 99 countries
All-time high
7,500
in 2004
All-time low
1,410
in 2011
Years of data
9
1999–2018

Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Uruguay, 1999–2018

2.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k1999200820181999: 4.3k2002: 6.2k2003: 4.3k2004: 7.5k2007: 3.4k2011: 1.4k2013: 2.6k2016: 1.9k2018: 3.2k

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

Analysis

Uruguay recorded 3,170 for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in 2018.

The figure is up 68.6% on the previous year and down 6.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Uruguay peaked at 7,500 in 2004 and was at its lowest, 1,410, in 2011.

That places Uruguay 97th out of 99 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 4,300 4,300 4,300 1
2000s 5,345 3,390 7,500 4
2010s 2,255 1,410 3,170 4

Countries ranked near Uruguay

  1. 94 Chile 3,630 compare
  2. 95 South Korea 3,500 compare
  3. 96 Maldives 3,290 compare
  4. 98 Eswatini 2,560 compare
  5. 99 Bhutan 2,460 compare

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More environment data for Uruguay

All data for Uruguay →

Frequently asked questions

What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Uruguay?
Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Uruguay was 3,170 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 Uruguay?
The highest recorded value was 7,500 in 2004.
What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Uruguay?
The lowest recorded value was 1,410 in 2011.
How does Uruguay rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
Uruguay ranks 97th out of 99 countries with data for 2018.
Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Uruguay?
Over the last ten years it is down 6.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Uruguay 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.