The Answer:

According to Unicef, 8.1 million children under age 5 died in 2009. This figure represents children all over the world. This is a significant decrease from 12.4 million in 1990.

The Unicef site is a terrific source for world malnutrition statistics, and the above figure is just the tip of the iceberg. The organization's publications, especially the Progress for Children report, are a great place to start your research.

—The Editors