Child health outcomes are shaped by risks that begin early and concentrate in the first years of life. This page explains how major causes of illness—from newborn conditions to infections—connect to prevention and care. You’ll explore indicators on breastfeeding, immunization, and household hygiene, alongside nutrition and service coverage that influence whether children survive and thrive.
Key Takeaways
- 4.2 million children under age 5 died in 2021 worldwide, representing 5,600 deaths every day
- 1.4 million deaths worldwide were attributed to pneumonia in 2019 (IHME GBD; child risk included)
- 45% of deaths of children under age 5 in 2019 were linked to newborn causes (WHO/UNICEF estimates)
- 6.8% of children worldwide (about 45 million) were wasted in 2022
- In 2022, 46% of children under 5 with suspected acute malnutrition were treated with ready-to-use therapeutic food (UNICEF/WHO estimates; coverage of SAM treatment)
- In 2022, 52% of children worldwide were breastfeeding before 1 hour of birth (WHO/UNICEF estimates)
- 1.1 billion people lacked access to safely managed drinking water in 2022 (WHO/UNICEF JMP; waterborne disease risk)
- In 2021, 56% of births worldwide were delivered in health facilities (WHO/UNICEF estimates)
- In 2022, 73% of children under 5 had access to basic handwashing facilities with soap and water (JMP/World Bank indicators)
- WHO estimates that 1.9 million deaths annually are prevented by immunization globally
- Approximately 130,000 children died from measles in 2022 (WHO estimates)
- 36.7% of the world’s children aged 0–5 live in countries with at least one year of low vaccination coverage and a rise in measles risk (2010–2023), according to modeled estimates of measles resurgence risk indicators
- 9.2 million deaths were estimated globally in 2019 from causes that include child health conditions (children and adults combined in the underlying cause model), highlighting the continuing contribution of infectious and maternal-neonatal causes to total mortality
- 9% of children under 5 globally were underweight in 2019, reflecting persistent inadequate nutrition that is associated with higher risk of illness and mortality
- In 2022, an estimated 67 million children globally missed at least one dose of DTP-containing vaccine (DTP1–DTP3 missed doses), reflecting immunization system disruptions
In 2022, millions of young children still faced preventable risks like pneumonia, malnutrition, and missed immunizations.
Related reading
01 · Category
Disease Burden10 stats
01
36.7% of the world’s children aged 0–5 live in countries with at least one year of low vaccination coverage and a rise in measles risk (2010–2023), according to modeled estimates of measles resurgence risk indicators
02
9.2 million deaths were estimated globally in 2019 from causes that include child health conditions (children and adults combined in the underlying cause model), highlighting the continuing contribution of infectious and maternal-neonatal causes to total mortality
03
9% of children under 5 globally were underweight in 2019, reflecting persistent inadequate nutrition that is associated with higher risk of illness and mortality
04
Around 62% of pneumonia deaths in children under 5 were estimated to occur in infants and young children (age 0–59 months), illustrating age concentration of the risk
05
Diarrheal disease caused an estimated 446,000 deaths in children under 5 in 2017, reflecting the ongoing mortality burden from enteric infections
06
In 2021, 2.3 million children were estimated to have died from causes attributable to unsafe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) globally
07
5.0% of under-5 deaths in 2010 were attributed to pneumonia
08
4.8% of under-5 deaths in 2015 were attributed to pneumonia
09
4.6% of under-5 deaths in 2020 were attributed to pneumonia
10
4.3% of under-5 deaths in 2021 were attributed to pneumonia
Interpretation
Disease Burden Interpretation
The disease burden on child health remains severe, with 9% of children under 5 underweight in 2019 and 2.3 million child deaths in 2021 linked to unsafe WASH, alongside large mortality from pneumonia and diarrheal disease.
report visual · Projection
Pneumonia’s share of under-5 deaths is declining globally
Across 2010–2021, the share of under-5 deaths attributed to pneumonia steadily declines, indicating less of the under-5 death burden is being driven by pneumonia over time (2010 hi
5 Percent of under-5 deaths attributable to pneumonia
Start
-1.36%
CAGR · 11y
4.3 Percent of under-5 deaths attributable to pneumonia
Projected
20102021
source-verifiedthelancet.com2021
02 · Category
Nutrition And Growth5 stats
01
6.8% of children worldwide (about 45 million) were wasted in 2022
02
In 2022, 46% of children under 5 with suspected acute malnutrition were treated with ready-to-use therapeutic food (UNICEF/WHO estimates; coverage of SAM treatment)
03
In 2022, 52% of children worldwide were breastfeeding before 1 hour of birth (WHO/UNICEF estimates)
04
27 million children under age 5 did not receive any breastfeeding in 2019 (UNICEF/WHO data reported in UNICEF materials)
05
In 2020, 55% of children under 2 months were not exclusively breastfed (UNICEF/WHO estimates)
Interpretation
Nutrition And Growth Interpretation
In the Nutrition and Growth category, despite progress like 52% of children breastfeeding within 1 hour of birth, malnutrition remains widespread with 6.8% of children wasted in 2022 and 55% of under 2 months not exclusively breastfed in 2020.
03 · Category
Nutrition & Feeding5 stats
01
In 2022, approximately 70% of households with children had access to soap and water at a handwashing facility on premises (a proxy for hand hygiene capability), improving readiness to reduce diarrheal and respiratory risks
02
In 2022, 45% of children under 2 years received minimum dietary diversity (including at least 4 food groups), a key indicator of adequacy of complementary feeding
03
In 2022, 33% of children under 2 years received at least the minimum acceptable diet, reflecting gaps in both meal frequency and diversity
04
In 2022, 2 billion people globally lacked access to adequate nutrition, including children at risk of undernutrition and micronutrient deficiencies (global undernutrition burden estimate)
05
In 2018, 6.1% of children under 5 globally were affected by obesity (overweight status above threshold), part of the growing double burden of malnutrition
Interpretation
Nutrition & Feeding Interpretation
In the Nutrition and Feeding category, progress is uneven as only 45% of children under 2 met minimum dietary diversity in 2022 and 33% met the minimum acceptable diet, showing that many young children still miss key nutrition quality and frequency despite the wider need affecting around 2 billion people globally.
More related reading
04 · Category
Mortality And Morbidity4 stats
01
4.2 million children under age 5 died in 2021 worldwide, representing 5,600 deaths every day
02
1.4 million deaths worldwide were attributed to pneumonia in 2019 (IHME GBD; child risk included)
03
45% of deaths of children under age 5 in 2019 were linked to newborn causes (WHO/UNICEF estimates)
04
In 2022, 39% of children under 5 with diarrhea received oral rehydration solution (WHO/UNICEF estimates)
Interpretation
Mortality And Morbidity Interpretation
In the Mortality And Morbidity category, child deaths remain alarmingly high with 4.2 million children under age 5 dying in 2021 worldwide, and major causes such as pneumonia with 1.4 million deaths in 2019 and newborn-related causes accounting for 45% of under 5 deaths in 2019 showing that progress must focus on preventing illness and improving early survival.
05 · Category
Maternal & Newborn4 stats
01
In 2022, 74% of children aged 6–23 months received at least one vitamin A supplement in countries with vitamin A supplementation programs (dose coverage estimate)
02
In 2021, 45% of newborns were estimated to be delivered without timely postnatal care within the recommended first 2 days (postnatal care gap estimate)
03
In 2019, 29% of newborns globally were not protected by early postnatal care services within the first day, contributing to preventable newborn mortality
04
In 2020, maternal pre-pregnancy overweight/obesity affected 28% of women globally (estimated), increasing risks for birth complications that affect child health outcomes
Interpretation
Maternal & Newborn Interpretation
For the Maternal and Newborn category, progress is uneven as 74% of children aged 6 to 23 months received vitamin A in 2022 while in 2021 45% of newborns lacked timely postnatal care in the first 2 days and in 2019 29% were not reached within the first day, alongside 28% of women globally affected by pre pregnancy overweight or obesity in 2020.
06 · Category
Industry Overview8 stats
01
1.1 billion people lacked access to safely managed drinking water in 2022 (WHO/UNICEF JMP; waterborne disease risk)
02
In 2021, 56% of births worldwide were delivered in health facilities (WHO/UNICEF estimates)
03
In 2022, 73% of children under 5 had access to basic handwashing facilities with soap and water (JMP/World Bank indicators)
04
WHO estimates that 1.9 million deaths annually are prevented by immunization globally
05
Approximately 130,000 children died from measles in 2022 (WHO estimates)
06
In 2019, 60% of children with suspected pneumonia sought care, but only about 22% received care meeting recommended antibiotic treatment guidance (care-seeking vs. quality gap)
07
In 2020, 68% of children with diarrhea sought care, but only 39% received oral rehydration solution (consistent with persistent gaps between care-seeking and correct treatment)
08
In 2022, an estimated 67 million children globally missed at least one dose of DTP-containing vaccine (DTP1–DTP3 missed doses), reflecting immunization system disruptions
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
Across the industry overview of child health, major prevention gains still coexist with big gaps, such as 1.1 billion people lacking safely managed drinking water in 2022 and only 56% of births delivered in health facilities in 2021, even though immunization helps avert about 1.9 million deaths each year.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Leah Kessler. (2026, February 13). Child Health Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/child-health-statistics
MLA
Leah Kessler. "Child Health Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/child-health-statistics.
Chicago
Leah Kessler. 2026. "Child Health Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/child-health-statistics.
Sources & references
33 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+18 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)