Share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty in South Africa
South Africa: Share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty was 4.9% in 2017. ▼ Falling
Share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty in South Africa, 1994–2017
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 2017, share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty in South Africa stood at 4.9%. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.
The figure is down 16.9% on the previous year and down 46.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty in South Africa peaked at 9.8% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 4.9%, in 2017.
South Africa ranks 62nd of 96 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 8.0% | — |
| 1999 | 9.8% | +22.5% |
| 2008 | 9.1% | -7.1% |
| 2015 | 5.7% | -37.4% |
| 2016 | 5.9% | +3.5% |
| 2017 | 4.9% | -16.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 8.9% | 8.0% | 9.8% | 2 |
| 2000s | 9.1% | 9.1% | 9.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 5.5% | 4.9% | 5.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 59 Tajikistan 5.2% compare
- 60 El Salvador 5.0% compare
- 60 Eswatini 5.0% compare
- 62 Ecuador 4.9% compare
- 64 Nicaragua 4.6% compare
- 65 Iran, Islamic Republic of 4.3% compare
More poverty & inequality data for South Africa
- 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 2.22 live births per woman (2023)
- Cereal yield vs. share in extreme poverty 4,562 kg per hectare (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Cereal yield vs extreme poverty, annual growth rate -20.01 % change on previous year (2024)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, gaps filled 28.13 (2022)
- Tax revenue as share of GDP vs. income inequality 28.1% (2022)
- Tax revenues vs income inequality, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty in South Africa?
- Share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty in South Africa was 4.9% in 2017, 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 South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 9.8% in 1999.
- What is the lowest share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.9% in 2017.
- How does South Africa rank for share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty?
- South Africa ranks 62nd out of 96 countries with data for 2017.
- Is share of children who are underweight vs. share in extreme poverty rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa 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.