Child wasting, 2024

UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates · 2024 global and regional prevalence estimates

See the data Public brief

Data

What the source shows

Main result42.8 million children affected by wasting

Additional result12.2 million affected by severe wasting

Time basis2024 global and regional prevalence estimates

Main takeaway

Severe wasting affects a smaller population but contributes disproportionately to the experimental burden estimate.

Keep in mind

JME identifies nutritional status, not an observed daily suffering intensity. Public tables also have rounding and denominator limits.

Charts

See the source evidence

Wasting by region

Regional total and severe wasting counts.

JME 2025 edition, 2024 estimates.

PNG SVG Chart data

Global composition

Severe and other wasting within the global total.

JME 2025 edition, 2024 estimates.

PNG SVG Chart data

USU Research

Experimental daily-equivalent USU pilot

Central experimental result55.9 million USU/day globally

27.9–83.8 million USU/day globallyDeterministic model range, not a confidence interval

Model assumptions

Moderate wasting intensity 1/2/3; severe wasting 2/4/6; one-day duration; p=1; no overlap; mortality separate. P1 early illustrative intensity mapping.

Reports and data

Public brief

A short summary of the data, experimental result, and main limitations.

Open Public Brief

Full report

Source context, mappings, calculations, results, and interpretation.

Open Full Report

Technical methods: assumptions and reproducibility note.