Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Vietnam

Vietnam: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 315,850 in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
315,850
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
19th
of 99 countries
All-time high
1.20 million
in 1994
All-time low
304,910
in 2010
Years of data
26
1988–2023

Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Vietnam, 1988–2023

400.0k600.0k800.0k1.0M1.2M1988200520231988: 982.5k1993: 599.5k1994: 1.2M1998: 916.3k1999: 797.1k2000: 427.8k2002: 595.3k2003: 733.0k2004: 769.9k2005: 735.3k2006: 683.8k2007: 709.3k2008: 683.4k2009: 524.3k2010: 304.9k2011: 495.4k2012: 507.8k2013: 504.1k2014: 527.8k2015: 509.1k2017: 485.0k2018: 442.7k2019: 412.9k2020: 361.4k2022: 321.7k2023: 315.9k

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 Vietnam is 315,850, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% on the previous year and down 37.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Vietnam peaked at 1.20 million in 1994 and was at its lowest, 304,910, in 2010.

Vietnam ranks 19th of 99 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 982,450 982,450 982,450 1
1990s 878,875 599,520 1.20 million 4
2000s 651,343 427,760 769,850 9
2010s 465,519 304,910 527,780 9
2020s 332,993 315,850 361,420 3

Countries ranked near Vietnam

  1. 16 Tanzania 328,470 compare
  2. 17 Iran 326,020 compare
  3. 18 Madagascar 318,250 compare
  4. 20 Burkina Faso 314,730 compare
  5. 21 Kenya 314,190 compare
  6. 22 Chad 267,670 compare

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More environment data for Vietnam

All data for Vietnam →

Frequently asked questions

What is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Vietnam?
Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Vietnam was 315,850 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 Vietnam?
The highest recorded value was 1.20 million in 1994.
What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Vietnam?
The lowest recorded value was 304,910 in 2010.
How does Vietnam rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
Vietnam ranks 19th out of 99 countries with data for 2023.
Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Vietnam?
Over the last ten years it is down 37.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Vietnam 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

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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.