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Field Listing :: Children under the age of 5 years underweight

This entry gives the percent of children under five considered to be underweight. Underweight means weight-for-age is approximately 2 kg below for standard at age one, 3 kg below standard for ages two and three, and 4 kg below standard for ages four and five. This statistic is an indicator of the nutritional status of a community. Children who suffer from growth retardation as a result of poor diets and/or recurrent infections tend to have a greater risk of suffering illness and death.

Country Comparison to the World

Country	Children under the age of 5 years underweight(%)


Afghanistan	32.9% (2004)


Albania	6.6% (2005)


Algeria	3.7% (2005)


Angola	27.5% (2001)


Argentina	2.3% (2005)


Armenia	4.2% (2005)


Azerbaijan	8.4% (2006)


Bangladesh	41.3% (2007)


Belarus	1.3% (2005)


Belize	4.9% (2006)


Benin	20.2% (2006)


Bhutan	12% (2008)


Bolivia	4.3% (2008)


Bosnia and Herzegovina	1.6% (2006)


Botswana	10.7% (2000)


Brazil	2.2% (2007)


Bulgaria	1.6% (2004)


Burkina Faso	37.4% (2006)


Burma	29.6% (2003)


Burundi	38.9% (2000)


Cambodia	28.8% (2008)


Cameroon	16.6% (2006)


Central African Republic	21.8% (2000)


Chad	33.9% (2004)


Chile	0.5% (2008)


China	8.7% (2000)


Colombia	5.1% (2005)


Comoros	25% (2000)


Congo, Democratic Republic of the	28.2% (2007)


Congo, Republic of the	11.8% (2005)


Cote d'Ivoire	16.7% (2006)


Cuba	3.9% (2000)


Czech Republic	2.1% (2002)


Djibouti	29.6% (2006)


Dominican Republic	3.4% (2007)


Ecuador	6.2% (2004)


Egypt	6.8% (2008)


El Salvador	6.1% (2003)


Equatorial Guinea	10.6% (2004)


Eritrea	34.5% (2002)


Ethiopia	34.6% (2005)


Gabon	8.8% (2001)


Gambia, The	15.8% (2006)


Georgia	2.3% (2005)


Germany	1.1% (2005)


Ghana	14.3% (2008)


Guatemala	17.7% (2002)


Guinea	20.8% (2008)


Guinea-Bissau	17.2% (2008)


Guyana	10.8% (2007)


Haiti	18.9% (2006)


Honduras	8.6% (2006)


India	43.5% (2006)


Indonesia	19.6% (2007)


Iraq	7.1% (2006)


Jamaica	2.2% (2007)


Kazakhstan	4.9% (2006)


Kenya	16.5% (2003)


Korea, North	20.6% (2004)


Kyrgyzstan	2.7% (2006)


Laos	31.6% (2006)


Lebanon	4.2% (2004)


Lesotho	16.6% (2005)


Liberia	20.4% (2007)


Libya	5.6% (2007)


Macedonia	1.8% (2005)


Madagascar	36.8% (2004)


Malawi	15.5% (2006)


Maldives	25.7% (2001)


Mali	27.9% (2006)


Mauritania	16.7% (2008)


Mexico	3.4% (2006)


Moldova	3.2% (2005)


Mongolia	5.3% (2005)


Montenegro	2.2% (2006)


Morocco	9.9% (2004)


Mozambique	21.2% (2003)


Namibia	17.5% (2007)


Nepal	38.8% (2006)


Nicaragua	4.3% (2004)


Niger	39.9% (2006)


Nigeria	26.7% (2008)


Pakistan	31.3% (2001)


Panama	3.9% (2008)


Papua New Guinea	18.1% (2005)


Peru	5.4% (2005)


Philippines	20.7% (2003)


Romania	3.5% (2002)


Rwanda	18% (2005)


Sao Tome and Principe	13.1% (2009)


Saudi Arabia	5.3% (2005)


Senegal	14.5% (2005)


Serbia	1.8% (2006)


Sierra Leone	21.3% (2008)


Singapore	3.3% (2000)


Solomon Islands	11.5% (2007)


Somalia	32.8% (2006)


Sri Lanka	21.1% (2007)


Sudan	31.7% (2006)


Swaziland	6.1% (2007)


Syria	10% (2006)


Tajikistan	14.9% (2005)


Tanzania	16.7% (2005)


Thailand	7% (2006)


Timor-Leste	40.6% (2002)


Togo	20.5% (2008)


Trinidad and Tobago	4.4% (2000)


Tunisia	3.3% (2006)


Turkey	3.5% (2004)


Tuvalu	1.6% (2007)


Uganda	16.4% (2006)


Ukraine	4.1% (2000)


United States	1.3% (2002)


Uruguay	6% (2004)


Uzbekistan	4.4% (2006)


Venezuela	3.7% (2007)


Vietnam	20.2% (2008)


Yemen	43.1% (2003)


Zambia	14.9% (2007)


Zimbabwe	14% (2006)

The online Factbook is updated weekly. ISSN 1553-8133
For additional information on government leaders in selected foreign countries, go to World Leaders.