According to the Global Hunger Index 2024, which was adopted by the International Food Policy Research Institute, Somalia was the most affected by hunger and malnutrition, with an index of 44.1. Yemen and Chad followed behind. The World Hunger Index combines three indicators: undernourishment, child underweight, and child mortality. Sub-Saharan Africa most affected The index is dominated by countries in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the region, more than one fifth of the population is undernourished . In terms of individuals, however, South Asia has the highest number of undernourished people. Globally, there are 735 million people that are considered undernourished or starving. A lack of food is increasing in over 20 countries worldwide. Undernourishment worldwide The term malnutrition includes both undernutrition and overnutrition. Undernutrition occurs when an individual cannot maintain normal bodily functions such as growth, recovering from disease, and both learning and physical work. Some conditions such as diarrhea, malaria, and HIV/AIDS can all have a negative impact on undernutrition. Rural and agricultural communities can be especially susceptible to hunger during certain seasons. The annual hunger gap occurs when a family’s food supply may run out before the next season’s harvest is available and can result in malnutrition. Nevertheless, the prevalence of people worldwide that are undernourished has decreased over the last decades, from 18.7 percent in 1990-92 to 9.2 percent in 2022, but it has slightly increased since the outbreak of COVID-19. According to the Global Hunger Index, the reduction of global hunger has stagnated over the past decade.

As of 2023, Venezuela was the second South American country with the highest share of population whose habitual food intake is insufficient to maintain an active and healthy life, only behind Bolivia. Venezuela's prevalence of undernourishment was estimated at 17.6 percent between 2021 and 2023, whereas the South American regional average stood at 5.9 percent.

In 2023, the rate of undernourishment worldwide was 9.1 percent. The region with the largest share of undernourished people was Sub-Saharan Africa, with 23.2 percent. Undernourished people worldwideSouthern Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa have some of the highest numbers of undernourished people in the world, totaling 281 million and 278 million, respectively in 2023. Based on the World Hunger Index 2024, Somalia and Yemen were among the most affected countries by hunger and malnutrition. Worldwide, about 733.4 million people were suffering from malnutrition in 2023. MalnutritionMalnourishment occurs when a person’s diet consists of too little or too much of certain nutrients. Undernutrition occurs when a person does not intake enough calories, protein, or micronutrients. One of the primary causes of malnutrition is due to limited or lack of accessibility to affordable nutritious foods. Malnutrition is considered to contribute to over a third of child deaths globally. In Asia, an estimated 77 million cases of stunting, which is the primary effect of malnutrition, were recorded for children under the age of five in 2022. The FAO reports that food security and nutrition commitments by national governments are essential in eradicating the world hunger problem. Agricultural productivity, accessibility to land, services, and markets, rural development strategies, and social protection are needed to ensure a reduction in malnutrition.

Child malnutrition joint country dataset (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank Group)

Madagascar had the highest prevalence of undernourishment in Africa between 2020 and 2022. In that period, an average of 51 percent of the country's population was undernourished. Hunger and food insecurity were also high in Somalia and the Central African Republic, where around 48 percent of the people in each land suffered from undernourishment.

The Global Hunger Index (GHI) is a tool designed to comprehensively measure and track hunger globally and by region and country. Calculated each year by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI), the GHI highlights successes and failures in hunger reduction and provide insights into the drivers of hunger, and food and nutrition security. The 2014 GHI has been calculated for 120 countries for which data on the three component indicators are available and for which measuring hung er is considered most relevant. The GHI calculation excludes some higher income countries because the prevalence of hunger there is very low. The GHI is only as current as the data for its three component indicators. This year's GHI reflects the most recent available country level data for the three component indicators spanning the period 2009 to 2013. Besides the most recent GHI scores, this dataset also contains the GHI scores for four other reference periods- 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2005. A country's GHI score is calculated by averaging the percentage of the population that is undernourished, the percentage of children youn ger than five years old who are underweight, and the percentage of children dying before the age of five. This calculation results in a 100 point scale on which zero is the best score (no hunger) and 100 the worst, although neither of these extremes is reached in practice. The three component indicators used to calculate the GHI scores draw upon data from the following sources: 1. Undernourishment: Updated data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) were used for the 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, and 2014GHI scores. Undernourishment data for the 2014 GHI are for 2011-2013. 2. Child underweight: The "child underweight" component indicator of the GHI scores includes the latest additions to the World Health Organization's (WHO) Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition, and additional data from the joint data base by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), WHO and the World Bank; the most recent Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) and Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey reports; and statistical tables from UNICEF. For the 2014 GHI, data on child underweight are for the latest year for which data are available in the period 2009-2014. 3. Child mortality: Updated data from the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation were used for the 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2005, and 2014 GHI scores. For the 2014 GHI, data on child mortality are for 2012. Resources related to 2014 Global Hunger Index

This is not a data deposit; it is a description of how interested parties can access the data from the original DHS and MICS repositories.

The DHS and MICS are household survey micro-data, made available to researchers, for free, to investigate a range of social, health, and other issues in low and middle-income countries. Surveys are usually run every 3-5 years and can be accessed from the DHS and MICS websites.

Between 1990 and 2014, sub-Saharan Africa saw a 23% increase in the number of children experiencing stunting, with around 58 million children under 5 affected. Many of these children also experienced wasting, and the co-occurrence of these anthropometric deficits ("multiple malnutrition", MM) entail heightened morbidity risks. At household and community level, MM can refer to the co-existence of under- and over-nutrition, a pattern observed across many low and middle income countries (LMICs), and which the 2015 and 2016 Global Nutrition Reports have noted to be "the new normal". This project focuses on MM in young children in one of the world's poorest regions, the countries of West and Central Africa (WCA). Utilising data from existing household surveys from the 24 countries of WCA, the project will conduct quantitative analyses on anthropometric and demographic data and variables to explore the prevalence and patterning of MM. It will bring together individual and household level data from the surveys (DHS, MICS), and combine this information with macro-level indicators, of national governance, of public expenditure on health and nutrition, and of food prices, to examine the underlying, intermediate and basic causes of MM, as set out in UNICEF's conceptual framework on (mal)nutrition. Malnutrition is associated with raised mortality risks, particularly in children; analysis of longitudinal survey data has shown that children experiencing multiple anthropometric deficits are 12.3 times more likely to die. Such children are likely to benefit most from nutrition and other child survival interventions (McDonald et al., 2013), as long as they can be indentified - which is not currently happening. Despite this, and the efforts and resources (national and international) which go to early child development programs in LMICs, a UNICEF/WHO/World Bank review of child malnutrition revealed that data on the prevalence and patterning of MM in young children are severely lacking, with no regional or global estimates of the number of children concurrently stunted and wasted. This knowledge gap is a real and ongoing problem for national governments and international agencies like UNICEF and the FAO. The analysis of existing household surveys, using advanced quantitative methods, will provide policy-relevant evidence on the determinants of MM for policy makers. We will also show how patterns of MM have changed over time, and identify key geographic and socio-demographic factors associated with MM. The project focuses on children under 5 years of age, since this is a crucial period of physical development, and also because anthropometric data (heights, weights) on this age group are most reliable and routinely collected in national surveys. The WCA region has some of the world's poorest countries, many with high rates of child malnutrition. These countries also face on-going challenges of food security not least with respect to unstable food production in the context of increasing desertification, political and economic instability, and violent conflict (e.g. in northern Nigeria, Niger and Mali). WCA has excellent coverage in terms of the number of countries with existing survey data, all of which contain detailed, comparable data with which to investigate drivers of disparities in MM. Importatnly, the evidence generated by this project will aid assessment of progress towards the first three Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) - of ending poverty, hunger and reducing child mortality.

As of November 2021, malnutrition affected from around 26 percent to 38 percent of children under five years in selected countries in East Africa. Rwanda had the most acute situation, with 38.3 percent of infants lacking access to adequate nutrition over a long period, which leads to growth failure. Ethiopia followed closely. A share of 36.8 percent of children aged 0-4 years suffered chronic malnutrition in the country.

Uganda UG: Prevalence of Underweight: Weight for Age: Female: % of Children Under 5 data was reported at 12.800 % in 2011. This records a decrease from the previous number of 14.600 % for 2006. Uganda UG: Prevalence of Underweight: Weight for Age: Female: % of Children Under 5 data is updated yearly, averaging 17.000 % from Dec 1988 (Median) to 2011, with 5 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 19.400 % in 1995 and a record low of 12.800 % in 2011. Uganda UG: Prevalence of Underweight: Weight for Age: Female: % of Children Under 5 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Uganda – Table UG.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Prevalence of underweight, female, is the percentage of girls under age 5 whose weight for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. The data are based on the WHO's new child growth standards released in 2006.; ; World Health Organization, Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition. Country-level data are unadjusted data from national surveys, and thus may not be comparable across countries.; Linear mixed-effect model estimates; Undernourished children have lower resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections. Frequent illness saps the nutritional status of those who survive, locking them into a vicious cycle of recurring sickness and faltering growth (UNICEF, www.childinfo.org). Estimates of child malnutrition, based on prevalence of underweight and stunting, are from national survey data. The proportion of underweight children is the most common malnutrition indicator. Being even mildly underweight increases the risk of death and inhibits cognitive development in children. And it perpetuates the problem across generations, as malnourished women are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies. Stunting, or being below median height for age, is often used as a proxy for multifaceted deprivation and as an indicator of long-term changes in malnutrition.

United States US: Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: Male: % of Children Under 5 data was reported at 3.000 % in 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 3.200 % for 2009. United States US: Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: Male: % of Children Under 5 data is updated yearly, averaging 3.600 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2012, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 4.500 % in 2002 and a record low of 3.000 % in 2012. United States US: Prevalence of Stunting: Height for Age: Male: % of Children Under 5 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Prevalence of stunting, male, is the percentage of boys under age 5 whose height for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. For children up to two years old height is measured by recumbent length. For older children height is measured by stature while standing. The data are based on the WHO's new child growth standards released in 2006.; ; World Health Organization, Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition. Country-level data are unadjusted data from national surveys, and thus may not be comparable across countries.; Linear mixed-effect model estimates; Undernourished children have lower resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections. Frequent illness saps the nutritional status of those who survive, locking them into a vicious cycle of recurring sickness and faltering growth (UNICEF, www.childinfo.org). Estimates of child malnutrition, based on prevalence of underweight and stunting, are from national survey data. The proportion of underweight children is the most common malnutrition indicator. Being even mildly underweight increases the risk of death and inhibits cognitive development in children. And it perpetuates the problem across generations, as malnourished women are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies. Stunting, or being below median height for age, is often used as a proxy for multifaceted deprivation and as an indicator of long-term changes in malnutrition.

Child malnutrition joint country dataset (UNICEF, WHO, World Bank Group)

Definitions:
Severe Wasting: Percentage of children aged 0–59 months who are below minus three standard deviations from median weight-for-height of the WHO Child Growth Standards.
Wasting – Moderate and severe: Percentage of children aged 0–59 months who are below minus two standard deviations from median weight-for-height of the WHO Child Growth Standards.
Overweight – Moderate and severe: Percentage of children aged 0-59 months who are above two standard deviations from median weight-for-height of the WHO Child Growth Standards.
Stunting – Moderate and severe: Percentage of children aged 0–59 months who are below minus two standard deviations from median height-for-age of the WHO Child Growth Standards.
Underweight – Moderate and severe: Percentage of children aged 0–59 months who are below minus two standard deviations from median weight-for-age of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards.

This dataset includes 345 indicators, such as immunization rates, malnutrition prevalence, and vitamin A supplementation rates across 263 countries around the world. Data were collected on a yearly basis from 1960-2016.

United States US: Prevalence of Wasting: Weight for Height: Male: % of Children Under 5 data was reported at 0.400 % in 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 0.500 % for 2009. United States US: Prevalence of Wasting: Weight for Height: Male: % of Children Under 5 data is updated yearly, averaging 0.650 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2012, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 0.800 % in 2005 and a record low of 0.400 % in 2012. United States US: Prevalence of Wasting: Weight for Height: Male: % of Children Under 5 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Health Statistics. Prevalence of wasting, male,is the proportion of boys under age 5 whose weight for height is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59.; ; World Health Organization, Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition. Country-level data are unadjusted data from national surveys, and thus may not be comparable across countries.; Linear mixed-effect model estimates; Undernourished children have lower resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections. Frequent illness saps the nutritional status of those who survive, locking them into a vicious cycle of recurring sickness and faltering growth (UNICEF, www.childinfo.org). Estimates of child malnutrition, based on prevalence of underweight and stunting, are from national survey data. The proportion of underweight children is the most common malnutrition indicator. Being even mildly underweight increases the risk of death and inhibits cognitive development in children. And it perpetuates the problem across generations, as malnourished women are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies. Stunting, or being below median height for age, is often used as a proxy for multifaceted deprivation and as an indicator of long-term changes in malnutrition.

Prevalence of Undernourishment (% of Population) by country for 2013. This is a filtered layer based on the "Undernourished population by country, 2000-2010 time series" layer.This data shows the percentage of the population whose food intake is insufficient to meet dietary energy requirements continuously. For example, 7.5 means less than 7.5% of the population is undernourished.Data sources: Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations (http://www.fao.org/publications/en/) via World Bank (World DataBank) and FAOSTAT, Country shapes from Natural Earth 50M scale data.

Population below minimum level of dietary energy consumption (also referred to as prevalence of undernourishment) shows the percentage of the population whose food intake is insufficient to meet dietary energy requirements continuously. Data showing as 5 may signify a prevalence of undernourishment below 5%.

Between 2020 and 2022, Liberia was the leading West African country in undernourishment, representing a ratio of 38.4 percent of the population. By comparison, from 2004 to 2006, the Sierra Leone achieved the highest undernourished population (46.5 percent). On the other hand, the prevalence of undernourishment was lowest in Ghana between 2020 to 2022 (4.9 percent), while it was lowest in Nigeria between 2004 and 2006.

According to the IPC AMN classification, the Northern, Central, and Southern domains of Yobe State, as well as the Eastern domain in Borno State, are classified in IPC Phase 3 (Serious). Both domains in the Adamawa State (Southern and Northern), 3 domains in Borno State (Southern, Central, Northern), in addition to MMC/Jere, are classified as being in IPC Phase 2 (Alert). Acute malnutrition levels in Borno State’s Northern, Central, and Southern domains are expected to deteriorate further during the projection period of January-April 2020. For more visit: http://www.ipcinfo.org/ipc-country-analysis/details-map/en/c/1152521/?iso3=NGA

The full text of this article can be freely accessed on the publisher's website.

United States US: Prevalence of Underweight: Weight for Age: Male: % of Children Under 5 data was reported at 0.500 % in 2012. This records a decrease from the previous number of 1.000 % for 2009. United States US: Prevalence of Underweight: Weight for Age: Male: % of Children Under 5 data is updated yearly, averaging 1.150 % from Dec 1991 (Median) to 2012, with 6 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 1.600 % in 2002 and a record low of 0.500 % in 2012. United States US: Prevalence of Underweight: Weight for Age: Male: % of Children Under 5 data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United States – Table US.World Bank.WDI: Health Statistics. Prevalence of underweight, male, is the percentage of boys under age 5 whose weight for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. The data are based on the WHO's new child growth standards released in 2006.; ; World Health Organization, Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition. Country-level data are unadjusted data from national surveys, and thus may not be comparable across countries.; Linear mixed-effect model estimates; Undernourished children have lower resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections. Frequent illness saps the nutritional status of those who survive, locking them into a vicious cycle of recurring sickness and faltering growth (UNICEF, www.childinfo.org). Estimates of child malnutrition, based on prevalence of underweight and stunting, are from national survey data. The proportion of underweight children is the most common malnutrition indicator. Being even mildly underweight increases the risk of death and inhibits cognitive development in children. And it perpetuates the problem across generations, as malnourished women are more likely to have low-birth-weight babies. Stunting, or being below median height for age, is often used as a proxy for multifaceted deprivation and as an indicator of long-term changes in malnutrition.

Analysis of ‘Malnutrition across the globe’ provided by Analyst-2 (analyst-2.ai), based on source dataset retrieved from https://www.kaggle.com/ruchi798/malnutrition-across-the-globe on 28 January 2022.

--- Dataset description provided by original source is as follows ---

Context

Malnutrition continues to be the reason for making children much more vulnerable to diseases and death. There are 4 broad types of malnutrition: wasting, stunting, underweight and overweight.

Content

1. Severe Wasting - % of children aged 0–59 months who are below minus three standard deviations from median weight-for-height Wasting – Moderate and severe: % of children aged 0–59 months who are below minus two standard deviations from median weight-for-height
2. Overweight – Moderate and severe: % aged 0-59 months who are above two standard deviations from median weight-for-height
3. Stunting – Moderate and severe: % of children aged 0–59 months who are below minus two standard deviations from median height-for-age
4. Underweight – Moderate and severe: % of children aged 0–59 months who are below minus two standard deviations from median weight-for-age

Inspiration

• Was there a decline or rise in the number of malnutrition cases country-wise?
• Which countries bear the greatest share of all forms of malnutrition?
• % of stunted, overweight and wasted children under 5, by country income classification

Data Visualization on Tableau

--- Original source retains full ownership of the source dataset ---