In 2022, 6.8% of children worldwide were wasted, roughly 45 million children. While immunization prevents about 1.9 million deaths each year, wasting remains a marker of fragile nutrition and weakened resilience. The data also show persistent gaps in foundational care, including safely managed drinking water, timely breastfeeding, and correct treatment for pneumonia and diarrhea.
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
Despite lifesaving progress, millions of young children still die each year from preventable illnesses and undernutrition.
Related reading
01 · 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
Mortality and morbidity among young children remains heavily concentrated in preventable causes, with 4.2 million under 5 deaths in 2021 and 45% of under 5 deaths in 2019 tied to newborn causes, while only 39% of under 5 children with diarrhea received oral rehydration solution in 2022.
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
Under the Nutrition and Growth lens, progress is uneven because while 52% of children are breastfeeding within 1 hour and 46% of those with suspected acute malnutrition receive ready to use therapeutic food, 6.8% of children are still wasted and 55% of under 2 month olds are not exclusively breastfed, with 27 million under 5 having received no breastfeeding in 2019.
03 · Category
Health Systems And Access3 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)
Interpretation
Health Systems And Access Interpretation
In the Health Systems And Access landscape, while 73% of children under 5 had basic handwashing facilities with soap and water in 2022, major gaps remain including 1.1 billion people lacking safely managed drinking water in the same year and only 56% of births being delivered in health facilities in 2021.
04 · Category
Immunization And Infectious Disease2 stats
01
WHO estimates that 1.9 million deaths annually are prevented by immunization globally
02
Approximately 130,000 children died from measles in 2022 (WHO estimates)
Interpretation
Immunization And Infectious Disease Interpretation
Immunization is preventing about 1.9 million deaths worldwide each year, even though measles still claimed roughly 130,000 children in 2022, underscoring how crucial infectious disease vaccines remain under the Immunization and Infectious Disease category.
05 · Category
Disease Burden6 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
Interpretation
Disease Burden Interpretation
The disease burden facing children remains high and closely tied to preventable infections and nutrition, with 36.7% of children aged 0 to 5 living in places with rising measles risk and around 2.3 million child deaths in 2021 attributed to unsafe WASH.
More related reading
06 · Category
Immunization Coverage1 stats
01
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
Immunization Coverage Interpretation
In 2022, 67 million children globally missed at least one DTP dose, a clear sign that immunization coverage faced serious disruptions.
07 · 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 2022, while only 45% of children under 2 met minimum dietary diversity and 33% received at least the minimum acceptable diet, the Nutrition and Feeding picture is clear that most young children still fall short on meal adequacy even as 2 billion people globally remain without adequate nutrition.
08 · 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
Across the Maternal and Newborn category, while 74% of children aged 6 to 23 months received vitamin A in 2022, gaps in early newborn care remain substantial, with 45% lacking timely postnatal care in the first two days in 2021 and 29% not protected by early postnatal services within the first day in 2019.
09 · Category
Service Access2 stats
01
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)
02
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)
Interpretation
Service Access Interpretation
In the service access gap, children show high care-seeking but much lower receipt of recommended treatment, with suspected pneumonia rising from 60% seeking care in 2019 to only 22% getting guideline antibiotics and diarrhea in 2020 moving from 68% seeking care to just 39% receiving oral rehydration solution.
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
32 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+17 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)