Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Zimbabwe

Zimbabwe: Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted was 118,990 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
118,990
World rank
44th
of 99 countries
All-time high
146,040
in 2005
All-time low
28,870
in 1988
Years of data
11
1988–2024

Malnutrition: Number of children who are wasted in Zimbabwe, 1988–2024

25.0k50.0k75.0k100.0k125.0k150.0k1988200620241988: 28.9k1994: 91.2k1999: 143.3k2005: 146.0k2009: 50.5k2010: 69.0k2012: 66.5k2014: 76.1k2015: 78.5k2019: 65.4k2024: 119.0k

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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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

  1. 41 Algeria 136,050 compare
  2. 42 Zambia 122,630 compare
  3. 43 Venezuela 119,680 compare
  4. 45 Turkey 117,720 compare
  5. 46 Saudi Arabia 107,560 compare
  6. 47 Mauritania 106,800 compare

See the full ranking of 99 places →

More environment data for Zimbabwe

All data for Zimbabwe →

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

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.