Anaemia is a condition in which the concentration of haemoglobin in the blood is lower than normal. While anaemia is preventable and treatable, millions of women and children suffer from its consequences including severe fatigue, adverse reproductive outcomes among pregnant women, and poor cognitive and motor development among children. Sustainable Development Goal indicator 2.2.3  – Prevalence of anaemia in women 15-49 years, by pregnancy status – is a critical indicator of both poor nutrition and poor health. 

As the data custodian for SDG 2.2.3, WHO is responsible for its tracking and progress reporting. This is regularly done by updating the WHO Micronutrients Database, a global database that contains national- and subnational-level data sources which fulfill the minimum inclusion criteria used to ensure adequate quality and validated methods for data collection, analyses and reporting. This database feeds into the global anaemia estimates and is also a key resource for research and monitoring efforts worldwide. Each round of updates for the estimates supports the generation of country-level primary data used as inputs to country-level modelled estimates, regional and global estimates, and dissemination products (peer-reviewed papers, global health and nutrition monitoring reports).

The updated estimates present trends in anaemia prevalence among women aged 15–49 years from 2000 to 2023, disaggregated by pregnancy status. These estimates provide a snapshot of the current anaemia situation at national, regional, and global levels, and monitor progress toward the global target of reducing anaemia by 50% by 2030, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The data are being published through UN SDG databases and reports, as well as WHO global publications such as the World Health Statistics and the Global Health Observatory.