According to Gram Research analysis of a 2026 systematic review, newly arrived refugee and migrant children in Europe show a wide range of malnutrition, with wasting in 2.5% to 5.6% of children and vitamin D deficiency ranging from 4.8% to 77.5%. The review pooled 15 studies covering 6,776 children from nine host countries.
Children who arrive in Europe as refugees or migrants often face serious nutrition problems, including too little food, too much weight gain, and missing vitamins and minerals. A systematic review, analyzed by Gram Research, pulled together 15 studies from nine European countries covering 6,776 children. The studies reported very different rates of problems. Wasting, a sign of recent severe hunger, appeared in 2.5% to 5.6% of children. Vitamin D deficiency ranged from 4.8% to 77.5%, and iron deficiency ranged from 17.6% to 39.2%. Overweight and obesity ranged from 4.7% to 40%. The authors found that the studies were generally of poor to fair quality and differed a lot in how they were done, so firm conclusions are not yet possible. Still, the findings suggest that children may face several nutrition problems at once, and the authors call for better, standardized research.
Key Statistics
A 2026 systematic review of 15 studies covering 6,776 refugee and migrant children in Europe found that wasting, a sign of recent severe food shortage, affected 2.5% to 5.6% of the children.
A 2026 systematic review of 15 studies found that vitamin D deficiency among newly arrived refugee and migrant children in Europe ranged from 4.8% to 77.5%, while iron deficiency ranged from 17.6% to 39.2%.
A 2026 systematic review found that overweight, including obesity, ranged from 4.7% to 40% among newly arrived refugee and migrant children across nine European host countries.
The Quick Take
- What they studied: The researchers wanted to know what nutrition problems, such as being underweight, overweight, short for their age, or lacking key vitamins and minerals, are common among children who recently arrived in Europe as refugees or migrants.
- Who participated: The review combined 15 published studies from nine European host countries. Together these studies included 6,776 refugee and migrant children, most of whom had recently arrived in Europe.
- Key finding: Nutrition problems varied widely from study to study. Vitamin D deficiency ranged from 4.8% to 77.5%, iron deficiency from 17.6% to 39.2%, and wasting from 2.5% to 5.6%. Because the studies were of limited quality and used different methods, these numbers are rough estimates rather than firm answers.
- What it means for you: If you work with or care for newly arrived children, it may be helpful to check their nutrition, not only their general health. Families and clinicians should talk with a healthcare provider about any concerns, since this review does not give individual advice.
The Research Details
A systematic review is a way of gathering all the studies on a topic that meet set rules, then looking at them together. The authors searched three large medical and academic databases (PubMed, Scopus, and ProQuest) for studies published from 2010 onward. They looked for research that measured how common overweight, underweight, stunting, wasting, vitamin D deficiency, or iron deficiency was among refugee and migrant children in Europe.
The researchers did not run a new experiment. Instead, they collected the results from existing studies and compared them. Each study was checked with standard quality tools to judge how reliable it was. This approach allows a broad view of the evidence, but the final picture is only as strong as the studies that went into it.
Because the included studies used different methods, measured nutrition in different ways, and defined the problems differently, the authors could not combine their numbers into one reliable average. Instead, they reported the full range of results across the studies.
A systematic review helps show the overall pattern across many separate studies, instead of relying on one small group of children. For a topic like this, where data come from different countries and settings, it can reveal which nutrition problems appear most often and where the gaps in knowledge are.
The approach also makes it clear how much the results vary. A wide range of numbers signals that the true rates are uncertain, which is useful information for health planners and researchers deciding where to focus their efforts.
The authors rated the studies as poor to fair in quality, which means readers should treat the results with caution. The included studies differed in design, size, and how they defined nutrition problems, so their results could not be easily compared or combined.
The review covered a large total number of children, which adds weight to the overall picture. However, a large total across many small or weaker studies does not guarantee accurate answers. The authors themselves state that the evidence is not strong enough for final conclusions.
What the Results Show
Across the 15 studies, the rates of nutrition problems were spread across a very wide range. Overweight, including obesity, ranged from 4.7% to 40%. Underweight ranged from 2.8% to 24%. These spreads show that the situation may look very different depending on which group of children and which study is examined.
Children’s growth also varied. Stunting, which means being too short for one’s age and often reflects long-term poor nutrition, ranged from 7.3% to 17.4%. Wasting, which means being too thin for one’s height and often reflects recent severe food shortage, ranged from 2.5% to 5.6%. The authors describe wasting as an alarming finding because it signals urgent need.
Micronutrient deficiencies, which are shortages of vitamins and minerals, were common in several studies. Vitamin D deficiency ranged from 4.8% to 77.5%, and iron deficiency ranged from 17.6% to 39.2%. The authors also noted that some children may have several forms of malnutrition at the same time, a pattern known as the triple burden of malnutrition.
The authors noted that the triple burden of malnutrition, where undernutrition, overnutrition, and micronutrient deficiencies occur together, may be present in some of these children. This matters because a child can be underweight in one way and overweight or lacking vitamins in another, so a simple weight check may miss important problems.
The authors also pointed out that current health screening for newly arrived refugees in most European countries often does not include detailed nutrition checks. This suggests that some nutrition problems may go unnoticed during the first health assessment.
The review fits with a broader concern in public health that people on the move, including children, often have limited access to food, clean water, and regular medical care. Earlier research on displaced populations has reported similar patterns of vitamin and mineral shortages and mixed signs of both hunger and excess weight. This review adds a focused look at European settings, although the authors note that the number of high-quality studies remains small.
The biggest limitation is the quality and variety of the included studies. Most were rated as poor to fair, and they used different ways of measuring nutrition, which makes comparisons difficult. Because of this, the authors could not combine the results into a single reliable estimate.
Only 15 studies were included, which is a small number for a topic this important. The studies also came from different countries, time periods, and groups of children, so the results may not apply equally to every refugee or migrant child in Europe.
Finally, the review only includes studies published in the searched databases and written in the search terms used. Some relevant research may have been missed, and the review cannot prove why these problems occur or how to fix them.
The Bottom Line
Based on this review, health workers may want to include nutrition checks, such as growth measurements and tests for vitamin D and iron, in the early health assessment of newly arrived refugee and migrant children. The evidence for this is suggestive rather than conclusive, so confidence is moderate. The authors call for more high-quality studies that use standard methods before firm national guidelines can be set.
Healthcare providers, public health officials, and organizations that support refugee and migrant families may find this review useful for planning screening and services. Parents and caregivers of newly arrived children may also benefit from knowing that nutrition concerns are worth raising with a doctor. People who are not involved in caring for these children may find the findings less directly relevant to their own nutrition choices.
This review is a snapshot of research gathered so far, so it does not show how quickly nutrition problems improve after arrival. Changes in diet, vitamin supplementation, or medical care may take weeks to months to show up in growth and blood tests. Anyone concerned about a specific child should check with a healthcare professional for a realistic timeline.
Frequently Asked Questions
How common is malnutrition in refugee children arriving in Europe?
Rates vary widely across studies. A 2026 systematic review of 15 studies found wasting in 2.5% to 5.6% of children and vitamin D deficiency from 4.8% to 77.5%. The authors note that the studies were of limited quality, so exact rates remain uncertain.
What types of malnutrition affect newly arrived migrant children?
The review examined underweight, overweight, stunting, wasting, vitamin D deficiency, and iron deficiency. Some children may experience several forms at once, a pattern called the triple burden of malnutrition, according to a 2026 review of 6,776 children.
Why is wasting a concern for refugee children in Europe?
Wasting means a child is too thin for their height, often from recent severe food shortage. A 2026 systematic review reported wasting in 2.5% to 5.6% of newly arrived children, which the authors described as an alarming finding that calls for urgent attention.
Do health checks for newly arrived refugees include nutrition screening?
Most European countries offer health screening on arrival, but it often has limited scope and frequently lacks detailed nutrition assessments. A 2026 systematic review concluded that this gap may allow nutrition problems to go unnoticed during early care.
Want to Apply This Research?
- Track weekly servings of vegetables, fruits, dairy or fortified alternatives, and iron-rich foods such as beans, lentils, and lean meats. Record the weekly count and set a simple goal, such as eating iron-rich foods at least five days per week. For children, include a note on whether a healthcare provider has checked their growth or blood levels.
- Encourage users to add one iron-rich food and one vitamin D source, such as fortified milk or eggs, to a daily meal plan. Suggest asking a doctor or clinic whether a vitamin D or iron test is appropriate. Use the app to send gentle reminders about these checks and to save questions for the next appointment.
- Log growth measurements, such as height and weight, at each clinic visit and review trends over several months. Keep a record of any blood test results and supplement use, and share the summary with the healthcare team. Over time, the logged data can help families and providers see whether nutrition is improving or whether more support is needed.
This article summarizes a systematic review of published studies, many of which were rated as poor to fair in quality. The findings are not a substitute for medical advice. Anyone concerned about the nutrition or growth of a child should speak with a qualified healthcare provider.
This research translation is published by Gram Research, the science division of Gram, an AI-powered nutrition tracking app.