Graphs showing the prevalence of anemia according to sex, year, and geographic region, classified by underlying cause

The prevalence of anemia per 100,000 population is shown for males and females in two time periods, 1990 and 2010 (left panel), and according to geographic region in 2010 (right panel). Causes of anemia are classified by the colored bars. Iron deficiency accounted for the largest proportion of cases in almost every category. The overall prevalence decreased during the study period, with the largest improvements in iron deficiency and hookworm (for males) and in iron deficiency and maternal hemorrhage (for females). Malaria was a major cause of anemia in many regions, especially West sub-Saharan Africa. South and East Asia had more than half the world's anemia cases.