Chapter 2 Sustainable Development Target 2.2: Malnutrition
2.3 OVERWEIGHT AMONG CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS OF AGE
In 2022, 7.1 percent of children under five years of age in the ECA region were overweight, more than the global estimate of 5.6 percent. The prevalence in the region increased from 2000 to 2006, steadied through 2009 and has declined continuously since 2010 (FIGURE 11, TABLE 4). Despite the decrease, the prevalence is more than double the 2030 global target of reducing childhood overweight and maintaining it at less than 3 percent. Only Central Asia was below the global estimate in 2022. The highest prevalence in the region (10.3 percent) was noted in the Western Balkans, with the Caucasus close behind at 9.1 percent.
The data show decreased prevalence from 2000 to 2022 in the Caucasus, Central Asia, CIS Europe and Ukraine, and the Western Balkans. In the Central Asia and CIS Europe and Ukraine subregions, the prevalence has halved since 2000, while the estimate has increased over the same period in the rest of the subregions (EFTA, EU-27 and the United Kingdom and the “Other” subgroup)
The prevalence of overweight among children under five years of age is available for 33 ECA countries (FIGURE 12). The prevalence increased from 2012 to 2022 in seven countries with available data (Belgium, Czechia, Estonia, Netherlands (Kingdom of the), Poland, Portugal and the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland). It remained stable in the EU-27 and the United Kingdom subregion and declined in the rest of the countries with available data.
In 2022, the highest prevalence (over 13 percent) was recorded in Albania, Greece and Ukraine, whereas the lowest (and below the 2030 global target of 3 percent) was in the Republic of Moldova (2.9 percent), with Tajikistan (3.0 percent) nearing the target.
FIGURE 11
Prevalence of overweight among children under five years of age in Europe and Central Asia by subregion
SOURCE: Based on UNICEF, WHO & World Bank. 2023. Levels and trends in child malnutrition. UNICEF / WHO / World Bank Group Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates – Key findings of the 2023 edition. New York, USA, UNICEF; Geneva, Switzerland, WHO and Washington DC, World Bank. https://data.unicef.org/resources/jme-report-2023 Download: https://doi.org/10.4060/cd4739en-fig11
TABLE 4
Prevalence of overweight among children under five years of age (percent)
2000
2005
2010
2012
2015
2020
2022
WORLD
5.3
5.6
5.5
5.5
5.5
5.6
5.6
Europe and Central Asia
8.7
9.7
9.7
9.3
8.4
7.2
7.1
Caucasus
10.5
13.0
13.5
13.0
11.4
9.3
9.1
Central Asia
10.1
10.7
9.3
8.2
6.7
5.1
5.0
CIS Europe and Ukraine
17.2
18.7
16.3
14.2
11.3
8.3
8.2
EFTA countries
5.7
5.9
6.6
6.8
7.1
7.4
7.4
EU-27 and the United Kingdom
5.7
6.2
6.7
6.8
7.0
6.9
6.8
Other
5.9
7.9
9.7
9.8
9.2
8.1
8.0
Western Balkans
15.7
19.3
18.9
17.3
14.3
10.6
10.3
SOURCE: Based on UNICEF, WHO & World Bank. 2023. Levels and trends in child malnutrition. UNICEF / WHO / World Bank Group Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates – Key findings of the 2023 edition. New York, USA, UNICEF; Geneva, Switzerland, WHO and Washington DC, World Bank. https://data%.unicef%.org/resources/jme-report-2023
FIGURE 12
Prevalence of overweight among children under five years of age in Europe and Central Asia by country and subregion
SOURCE: Based on UNICEF, WHO & World Bank. 2023. Levels and trends in child malnutrition. UNICEF / WHO / World Bank Group Joint Child Malnutrition Estimates – Key findings of the 2023 edition. New York, USA, UNICEF; Geneva, Switzerland, WHO and Washington DC, World Bank. https://data%.unicef%.org/resources/jme-report-2023 Download: https://doi.org/10.4060/cd4739en-fig12
