Chapter 2 Sustainable Development Target 2.2: Malnutrition

2.2 WASTING AMONG CHILDREN UNDER FIVE YEARS OF AGE

The ECA region has made significant progress in reducing the prevalence of wasting among children under five years of age. In 2022, the prevalence was 1.4 percent, which was less than a quarter of the global estimate of 6.8 percent (FIGURE 9).

FIGURE 10 shows the prevalence of child wasting by country. In six out of 18 countries with recent (2015 and onwards) estimates, the prevalence is still above the 2030 global target of reducing childhood wasting and maintaining it at less than 3 percent. These six countries are Armenia, Kazakhstan, Lithuania, North Macedonia, Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

FIGURE 9

Prevalence of wasting among children under five years of age in Europe and Central Asia by subregion, 2022

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-fig09
FIGURE 10

Prevalence of wasting among children under five years of age in Europe and Central Asia by country and subregion, latest year available (2015 to 2023)

NOTE: Countries lacking data on wasting among children under five years of age for the period 2015–2023 are not included in this figure.
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-fig10