Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 118,990 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Zimbabwe, 1988–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2024, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Zimbabwe stood at 118,990.
The figure is up 56.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Zimbabwe peaked at 146,040 in 2005 and was at its lowest, 28,870, in 1988.
Zimbabwe ranks 44th of 99 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.
Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 28,870 | — |
| 1994 | 91,240 | +216.0% |
| 1999 | 143,270 | +57.0% |
| 2005 | 146,040 | +1.9% |
| 2009 | 50,510 | -65.4% |
| 2010 | 68,980 | +36.6% |
| 2012 | 66,460 | -3.7% |
| 2014 | 76,070 | +14.5% |
| 2015 | 78,480 | +3.2% |
| 2019 | 65,430 | -16.6% |
| 2024 | 118,990 | +81.9% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 118,990 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 112,895, 1.1× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 118,990 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 175,595, 68% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 28,870 | 28,870 | 28,870 | 1 |
| 1990s | 117,255 | 91,240 | 143,270 | 2 |
| 2000s | 98,275 | 50,510 | 146,040 | 2 |
| 2010s | 71,084 | 65,430 | 78,480 | 5 |
| 2020s | 118,990 | 118,990 | 118,990 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More environment data for Zimbabwe
- Historical exposure to drought — Land soil moisture anomaly 2.93 Percentage change (2025)
- Historical exposure to drought — Cropland soil moisture anomaly 3.29 Percentage change (2025)
- Standard Deviation, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Standard Deviation 0.311 °C (2025)
- Temperature change 1.06 °C (2025)
- Total greenhouse gas emissions excluding LULUCF (Mt CO2e), annual 2.19 % 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 1.53 % 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 Zimbabwe?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are wasted in Zimbabwe was 118,990 in 2024, 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 146,040 in 2005.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are wasted recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 28,870 in 1988.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for malnutrition: number of children who are wasted?
- Zimbabwe ranks 44th out of 99 countries with data for 2024.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are wasted rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is up 56.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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 — 11 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.