Extreme poverty vs prevalence of underweight children in China

China: Extreme poverty vs prevalence of underweight children was 2.4 in 2013. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2013)
2.4
Change on year
down 29.4%
World rank
85th
of 96 countries
All-time high
18.7
in 1987
All-time low
2.4
in 2013
Years of data
12
1987–2013

Extreme poverty vs prevalence of underweight children in China, 1987–2013

051015201987200020131987: 18.71990: 12.61992: 14.21995: 10.71998: 6.92000: 7.42002: 6.82005: 4.52008: 3.82009: 3.42010: 3.42013: 2.4

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

China recorded 2.4 for extreme poverty vs prevalence of underweight children in 2013. That is the lowest value across all 12 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 29.4% on the previous year and down 64.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, extreme poverty vs prevalence of underweight children in China peaked at 18.7 in 1987 and was at its lowest, 2.4, in 2013.

China ranks 85th of 96 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Extreme poverty vs prevalence of underweight children in China, year by year

Annual values for Extreme poverty vs prevalence of underweight children in China, 1987 to 2013.
Year Value Change
1987 18.7
1990 12.6 -32.6%
1992 14.2 +12.7%
1995 10.7 -24.6%
1998 6.9 -35.5%
2000 7.4 +7.2%
2002 6.8 -8.1%
2005 4.5 -33.8%
2008 3.8 -15.6%
2009 3.4 -10.5%
2010 3.4 +0.0%
2013 2.4 -29.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 18.7 18.7 18.7 1
1990s 11.1 6.9 14.2 4
2000s 5.18 3.4 7.4 5
2010s 2.9 2.4 3.4 2

Countries ranked near China

  1. 82 Armenia 2.6 compare
  2. 83 Jamaica 2.5 compare
  3. 83 Jordan 2.5 compare
  4. 86 Palestine, State of 2.1 compare
  5. 87 Kazakhstan 2 compare
  6. 88 Mongolia 1.9 compare

See the full ranking of 96 places →

More poverty & inequality data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is extreme poverty vs prevalence of underweight children in China?
Extreme poverty vs prevalence of underweight children in China was 2.4 in 2013, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest extreme poverty vs prevalence of underweight children recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 18.7 in 1987.
What is the lowest extreme poverty vs prevalence of underweight children recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 2.4 in 2013.
How does China rank for extreme poverty vs prevalence of underweight children?
China ranks 85th out of 96 countries with data for 2013.
Is extreme poverty vs prevalence of underweight children rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 64.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Extreme poverty vs prevalence of underweight children. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Extreme poverty vs prevalence of underweight children in China. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 26 August 2026, from https://poverty.statizoid.com/stat/extreme-poverty-vs-prevalence-of-underweight-children/china/

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About this data

Indicator
Extreme poverty vs prevalence of underweight children
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
96 places, 957 data points, 1984–2024
Last refreshed