Percentage of children under 5 years affected by wasting (percent) in Western Africa
Western Africa: Percentage of children under 5 years affected by wasting (percent) was 6.5 % in 2024. ▼ Falling
Percentage of children under 5 years affected by wasting (percent) in Western Africa, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for percentage of children under 5 years affected by wasting (percent) in Western Africa is 6.5 %, measured in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.5% on the previous year and down 17.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of children under 5 years affected by wasting (percent) in Western Africa peaked at 10.2 % in 2000 and was at its lowest, 6.5 %, in 2024.
Western Africa ranks 8th of 29 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Percentage of children under 5 years affected by wasting (percent) in Western Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 10.2 % | — |
| 2001 | 10 % | -2.0% |
| 2002 | 9.8 % | -2.0% |
| 2003 | 9.6 % | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 9.5 % | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 9.3 % | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 9.1 % | -2.2% |
| 2007 | 9 % | -1.1% |
| 2008 | 8.8 % | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 8.6 % | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 8.5 % | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 8.3 % | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 8.2 % | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 8 % | -2.4% |
| 2014 | 7.9 % | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 7.7 % | -2.5% |
| 2016 | 7.6 % | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 7.4 % | -2.6% |
| 2018 | 7.3 % | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 7.2 % | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 7 % | -2.8% |
| 2021 | 6.9 % | -1.4% |
| 2022 | 6.8 % | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 6.6 % | -2.9% |
| 2024 | 6.5 % | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.39 % | 8.6 % | 10.2 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.81 % | 7.2 % | 8.5 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.76 % | 6.5 % | 7 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near Western Africa
- 5 Côte d'Ivoire 8.1 % compare
- 5 Malaysia 11 % compare
- 6 Niger 10.9 % compare
- 7 Bangladesh 10.7 % compare
- 7 Viet Nam 4.4 % compare
- 8 Senegal 10.2 % compare
- 8 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 4.1 % compare
- 9 Cambodia 9.6 % compare
- 10 Burkina Faso 9.3 % compare
- 10 Sri Lanka 9.3 % compare
- 10 United Republic of Tanzania 3.1 % compare
- 11 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 2.5 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Western Africa
- Sheep fat, unrendered — Production, annual growth rate 2.6 % change on previous year (2024)
- Sheep — Stocks, annual growth rate 2.44 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw milk of cattle — Milk Animals, annual growth rate 1.24 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw milk of cattle — Production, annual growth rate 1.7 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw milk of cattle — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual growth rate 0.4184 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs — Producing -2.05 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs — Production, annual growth rate 2.63 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of sheep or lambs — Yield/Carcass Weight, annual 0 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of goats or kids — Producing Animals/Slaughtered 1.5 % change on previous year (2024)
- Raw hides and skins of goats or kids — Production, annual growth rate -0.9422 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of children under 5 years affected by wasting (percent) in Western Africa?
- Percentage of children under 5 years affected by wasting (percent) in Western Africa was 6.5 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest percentage of children under 5 years affected by wasting (percent) recorded in Western Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 10.2 % in 2000.
- What is the lowest percentage of children under 5 years affected by wasting (percent) recorded in Western Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.5 % in 2024.
- How does Western Africa rank for percentage of children under 5 years affected by wasting (percent)?
- Western Africa ranks 8th out of 29 groups with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of children under 5 years affected by wasting (percent) rising or falling in Western Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Western Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Percentage of children under 5 years affected by wasting (percent) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Suite of Food Security Indicators presents the core set of food security indicators. Following the recommendation of experts gathered in the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Round Table on hunger measurement, hosted at FAO headquarters in September 2011, an initial set of indicators aiming to capture various aspects of food insecurity is presented here. The choice of the indicators has been informed by expert judgement and the availability of data with sufficient coverage to enable comparisons across regions and over time. Many of these indicators are produced and published elsewhere by FAO and other international organizations. They are reported here in a single database with the aim of building a wide food security information system. More indicators will be added to this set as more data will become available. Indicators are classified along the four dimensions of food security -- availability, access, utilization and stability.