Severe wasting in children — all countries

Severe wasting in children — Democratic Republic of the Congo

Severe wasting in children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo in 2023 — 1.9%. Ranked 19 in the world out of 22. Since 2001, the indicator has fallen by 4.2 pp.

2023 1.9% −0.1 pp vs 2017
World rank 19of 22
Period maximum 6.1%2001
Period minimum 1.9%2023

Trend over time

2001–2023 · % of children under 5

Severe wasting in children — Democratic Republic of the Congo, 2001–202302468200120042007201020132016201920222001: 6.1%2007: 4.8%2010: 2.8%2013: 2.9%2017: 2%2023: 1.9%
Change over the period: −4.2 pp Annual average: -0.19 pp

Comparison, 2023

How the value compares with the world and the groups this territory belongs to: Democratic Republic of the Congo

Democratic Republic of the Congo 1.9%
World 1.9%
Severe wasting in children — Democratic Republic of the Congo, by year Democratic Republic of the Congo All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2023 1.9 —
2017 2 —
2013 2.9 —
2010 2.8 —
2007 4.8 —
2001 6.1 —

About the indicator

The share of children under five whose weight falls short of the WHO norm for their height by more than three standard deviations. This is a subset of wasting, its extreme degree: without treatment mortality in this group runs into the tens of percent, which is why such cases are counted as a medical emergency and are treated with special therapeutic food. The indicator is the most sensitive of the child ones: it responds to a crisis earlier than the rest.

Important: Part of the wasting indicator rather than an addition to it: the two series cannot be added. The aggregate by group is weighted by the number of children aged 0–14.

Source: Global Health Observatory (WHO), license CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.