WHO global anaemia estimates: key findings, 2025
Overview
The World Health Organization (WHO) updates global, regional and country-specific estimates on the prevalence of anaemia among women aged 15-49 years every three to five years. These estimates are important for understanding the burden of anaemia, planning of public health interventions, and improving clinical care. The 2025 edition focuses on estimates for women aged 15-49 years and supersedes previous editions. The most recent estimates in children are those from the 2019 edition. The 2025 edition considers factors like the type of blood sample and the equipment used to assess haemoglobin concentrations, based on the latest evidence on variability in measurement errors influencing accuracy and precision estimates.
This update is based on a thorough search for complete information on analytical methods. Surveys were included when complete analytical methods were reported, while surveys that lacked this information were not included. Estimates, therefore, may not fully reflect variations across all countries and regions. To enhance the accuracy of the estimates, consultations with WHO Member States were conducted to identify more data sources and methods. This brief provides a snapshot of the latest situation of anaemia among women at country, regional and global levels, and progress towards the achievement of the global anaemia target by 2030, in tandem with the Sustainable Development Goals.
This edition highlights that anaemia in women remains a significant issue and more targeted efforts to alleviate their chronic suffering is urgent. Not addressing this global challenge could continue to harm national economies and social development. Key interventions include routine screening of young children and pregnant women for anaemia, prevention and treatment of micronutrient deficiencies and infectious diseases, management of gynaecological and obstetric conditions, family planning, and enhancement of screening and management of inherited red blood cell disorders in areas where these are prevalent.
