In 2022, 6.5 percent of children under five living in Nigeria had too low weight for their height. In Western Africa, this share was 6.9 percent, the highest in Africa. Wasting is a predictor of infant mortality. It is caused by a large food shortage, often accompanied by diseases. Furthermore, the prevalence of stunting among Nigerian children reached 34.2 percent in the said year.
Prevalence of undernourishment and food insecurity among children under the age of 5 in Nigeria in 2022
Characteristic
Share of children
Prevalence of wasting
6.5%
Prevalence of stunting
34.2%
0%5%10%15%20%25%30%35%40%
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UNICEF. (July 1, 2023). Prevalence of undernourishment and food insecurity among children under the age of 5 in Nigeria in 2022 [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 10, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1262216/undernourishment-and-food-insecurity-among-children-in-nigeria/
UNICEF. "Prevalence of undernourishment and food insecurity among children under the age of 5 in Nigeria in 2022." Chart. July 1, 2023. Statista. Accessed May 10, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1262216/undernourishment-and-food-insecurity-among-children-in-nigeria/
UNICEF. (2023). Prevalence of undernourishment and food insecurity among children under the age of 5 in Nigeria in 2022. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 10, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1262216/undernourishment-and-food-insecurity-among-children-in-nigeria/
UNICEF. "Prevalence of Undernourishment and Food Insecurity among Children under The Age of 5 in Nigeria in 2022." Statista, Statista Inc., 1 Jul 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1262216/undernourishment-and-food-insecurity-among-children-in-nigeria/
UNICEF, Prevalence of undernourishment and food insecurity among children under the age of 5 in Nigeria in 2022 Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1262216/undernourishment-and-food-insecurity-among-children-in-nigeria/ (last visited May 10, 2025)
Prevalence of undernourishment and food insecurity among children under the age of 5 in Nigeria in 2022 [Graph], UNICEF, July 1, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1262216/undernourishment-and-food-insecurity-among-children-in-nigeria/
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