Share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty in Eswatini
Eswatini: Share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty was 5.0% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty in Eswatini, 2000–2021
Source: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) - UNICEF, WHO, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 5.
Analysis
In 2021, share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty in Eswatini stood at 5.0%. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.
The figure is down 15.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty in Eswatini peaked at 9.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 2021.
Eswatini ranks 60th of 96 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty in Eswatini, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 9.1% | — |
| 2006 | 6.0% | -34.1% |
| 2008 | 7.3% | +21.7% |
| 2010 | 5.9% | -19.2% |
| 2014 | 5.8% | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 5.0% | -13.8% |
Eswatini compared with similar countries
- Eswatini's 5.0% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 11.6%, 43% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Eswatini's 5.0% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 14.3%, 35% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 7.5% | 6.0% | 9.1% | 3 |
| 2010s | 5.8% | 5.8% | 5.9% | 2 |
| 2020s | 5.0% | 5.0% | 5.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Eswatini
- 57 Honduras 7.1% compare
- 58 Thailand 6.7% compare
- 59 Tajikistan 5.2% compare
- 60 El Salvador 5.0% compare
- 62 Ecuador 4.9% compare
- 62 South Africa 4.9% compare
More poverty & inequality data for Eswatini
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via the World Bank 1 surveys (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per person (2025)
- Number of income/consumption surveys in the past decade available via 0 surveys per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Fertility rate vs. share living in extreme poverty 2.75 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 1,228 kg per hectare (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -23.13 % change on previous year (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 27.73 (2023)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 27.7% (2023)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty in Eswatini?
- Share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty in Eswatini was 5.0% in 2021, according to Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) - UNICEF, WHO, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty recorded in Eswatini?
- The highest recorded value was 9.1% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty recorded in Eswatini?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 2021.
- How does Eswatini rank for share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty?
- Eswatini ranks 60th out of 96 countries with data for 2021.
- Is share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty rising or falling in Eswatini?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Eswatini data come from?
- The figures come from Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) - UNICEF, WHO, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Underweight children are those less than 5 years old, whose weight for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population. Extreme poverty is defined as living below the International Poverty Line of $3 per day.