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)