New global malnutrition estimates

The new joint estimates from the inter-agency team (UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank Group) on child stunting, overweight, underweight and wasting show that stunting is declining too slowly, while overweight is continuing to rise.

Africa and Asia bear the greatest burden of all forms of malnutrition. In 2015:

• More than half of all stunted children under five lived in Asia and more than one third lived in Africa.

• Almost half of all overweight children lived in Asia and more than one quarter lived in Africa.

• More than two thirds of wasted children lived in Asia and more than one quarter lived in Africa.

Some children suffer from more than one form of malnutrition – such as stunting and overweight or stunting and wasting – but there are currently no joint estimates of these combined conditions.

To find out more, visit www.who.int