Prevalence of stunting, height for age (% of children under 5) - Country Ranking
Definition: Prevalence of stunting is the percentage of children under age 5 whose height for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. For children up to two years old height is measured by recumbent length. For older children height is measured by stature while standing. The data are based on the WHO's new child growth standards released in 2006.
Source: UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child malnutrition estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology.
See also: Thematic map, Time series comparison
Rank | Country | Value | Year |
---|---|---|---|
1 | Burundi | 54.00 | 2019 |
2 | Eritrea | 52.50 | 2010 |
3 | Timor-Leste | 51.70 | 2013 |
4 | Papua New Guinea | 49.50 | 2010 |
5 | Niger | 47.10 | 2019 |
6 | Guatemala | 46.70 | 2015 |
7 | Yemen | 46.40 | 2013 |
8 | Mozambique | 42.30 | 2015 |
9 | Dem. Rep. Congo | 41.80 | 2017 |
10 | Madagascar | 41.60 | 2018 |
11 | Malawi | 40.90 | 2019 |
12 | Central African Republic | 40.20 | 2019 |
13 | Afghanistan | 38.20 | 2018 |
13 | Sudan | 38.20 | 2014 |
15 | Libya | 38.10 | 2014 |
16 | Chad | 37.80 | 2019 |
17 | Pakistan | 37.60 | 2018 |
17 | Angola | 37.60 | 2015 |
19 | Ethiopia | 36.80 | 2019 |
20 | India | 34.70 | 2017 |
21 | Zambia | 34.60 | 2018 |
21 | Lesotho | 34.60 | 2018 |
23 | Djibouti | 33.50 | 2012 |
23 | Bhutan | 33.50 | 2010 |
25 | Rwanda | 33.10 | 2020 |
25 | Lao PDR | 33.10 | 2017 |
27 | Cambodia | 32.40 | 2014 |
28 | Benin | 32.20 | 2018 |
29 | Tanzania | 31.80 | 2018 |
30 | Solomon Islands | 31.70 | 2015 |
31 | Nigeria | 31.50 | 2020 |
31 | Nepal | 31.50 | 2019 |
33 | Comoros | 31.10 | 2012 |
34 | Indonesia | 30.80 | 2018 |
35 | Guinea | 30.30 | 2018 |
35 | Philippines | 30.30 | 2018 |
37 | Liberia | 29.80 | 2019 |
38 | Sierra Leone | 29.50 | 2019 |
39 | Cameroon | 28.90 | 2018 |
39 | Botswana | 28.90 | 2007 |
39 | Uganda | 28.90 | 2016 |
39 | Vanuatu | 28.90 | 2013 |
43 | Guinea-Bissau | 28.10 | 2019 |
44 | Bangladesh | 28.00 | 2019 |
45 | Syrian Arab Republic | 27.90 | 2010 |
46 | Myanmar | 26.70 | 2018 |
47 | Mali | 26.40 | 2019 |
48 | Kenya | 26.20 | 2014 |
48 | Equatorial Guinea | 26.20 | 2011 |
50 | Eswatini | 25.50 | 2014 |
51 | Somalia | 25.30 | 2009 |
52 | Nauru | 24.00 | 2007 |
53 | Burkina Faso | 23.80 | 2019 |
53 | Togo | 23.80 | 2017 |
53 | Vietnam | 23.80 | 2017 |
56 | Zimbabwe | 23.50 | 2019 |
57 | Ecuador | 23.00 | 2019 |
58 | Ukraine | 22.90 | 2000 |
59 | Mauritania | 22.80 | 2018 |
60 | Namibia | 22.70 | 2013 |
61 | Honduras | 22.60 | 2012 |
62 | Egypt | 22.30 | 2014 |
63 | Haiti | 21.90 | 2017 |
64 | Malaysia | 21.80 | 2019 |
65 | Côte d'Ivoire | 21.60 | 2016 |
66 | Cabo Verde | 21.40 | 1994 |
66 | South Africa | 21.40 | 2017 |
68 | Congo | 21.20 | 2014 |
69 | Brunei | 19.70 | 2009 |
70 | Dem. People's Rep. Korea | 19.10 | 2017 |
71 | Senegal | 17.90 | 2019 |
72 | Azerbaijan | 17.80 | 2013 |
73 | The Gambia | 17.50 | 2020 |
73 | Tajikistan | 17.50 | 2017 |
73 | Ghana | 17.50 | 2017 |
76 | Sri Lanka | 17.30 | 2016 |
76 | Nicaragua | 17.30 | 2012 |
78 | Gabon | 17.00 | 2012 |
79 | Lebanon | 16.50 | 2004 |
80 | Bolivia | 16.10 | 2016 |
81 | Panama | 15.80 | 2019 |
82 | Kiribati | 15.20 | 2018 |
83 | Morocco | 15.10 | 2017 |
84 | Belize | 15.00 | 2015 |
85 | Mexico | 14.10 | 2019 |
86 | Bahrain | 13.60 | 1995 |
86 | Mauritius | 13.60 | 1995 |
86 | El Salvador | 13.60 | 2014 |
89 | Thailand | 13.40 | 2019 |
89 | Venezuela | 13.40 | 2009 |
91 | Romania | 12.80 | 2002 |
92 | Colombia | 12.70 | 2016 |
93 | Iraq | 12.60 | 2018 |
94 | Peru | 12.20 | 2019 |
95 | Kyrgyz Republic | 11.80 | 2018 |
96 | São Tomé and Principe | 11.70 | 2019 |
97 | Qatar | 11.60 | 1995 |
98 | Oman | 11.40 | 2017 |
99 | Albania | 11.30 | 2017 |
99 | Guyana | 11.30 | 2014 |
101 | Uzbekistan | 10.80 | 2017 |
102 | Tuvalu | 10.00 | 2007 |
103 | Algeria | 9.80 | 2019 |
104 | Armenia | 9.40 | 2016 |
104 | Mongolia | 9.40 | 2018 |
106 | Jamaica | 9.30 | 2016 |
106 | Saudi Arabia | 9.30 | 2004 |
108 | Trinidad and Tobago | 9.20 | 2011 |
109 | Costa Rica | 9.00 | 2018 |
110 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 8.90 | 2012 |
111 | Tunisia | 8.40 | 2018 |
112 | Suriname | 8.30 | 2018 |
113 | Kazakhstan | 8.00 | 2015 |
114 | Seychelles | 7.90 | 2012 |
114 | Argentina | 7.90 | 2019 |
116 | Jordan | 7.80 | 2012 |
117 | Barbados | 7.70 | 2012 |
118 | Fiji | 7.50 | 2004 |
119 | Samoa | 7.30 | 2019 |
120 | Turkmenistan | 7.20 | 2019 |
120 | Montenegro | 7.20 | 2018 |
122 | Dominican Republic | 7.10 | 2013 |
122 | Cuba | 7.10 | 2019 |
122 | Japan | 7.10 | 2010 |
125 | Bulgaria | 7.00 | 2014 |
125 | Brazil | 7.00 | 2007 |
127 | Uruguay | 6.90 | 2018 |
128 | Iran | 6.80 | 2010 |
129 | Moldova | 6.40 | 2012 |
129 | Kuwait | 6.40 | 2017 |
131 | Turkey | 6.00 | 2018 |
132 | Georgia | 5.80 | 2018 |
133 | Paraguay | 5.60 | 2016 |
134 | Serbia | 5.40 | 2019 |
135 | China | 4.80 | 2017 |
136 | Belarus | 4.50 | 2005 |
137 | Singapore | 4.40 | 2000 |
138 | North Macedonia | 4.30 | 2019 |
139 | United States | 3.40 | 2018 |
140 | Portugal | 3.20 | 2016 |
141 | Czech Republic | 2.70 | 2001 |
142 | Poland | 2.60 | 2014 |
143 | St. Lucia | 2.50 | 2012 |
143 | Korea | 2.50 | 2009 |
145 | Tonga | 2.20 | 2019 |
146 | Australia | 2.00 | 2007 |
147 | Chile | 1.80 | 2014 |
148 | Germany | 1.70 | 2016 |
149 | Belgium | 1.60 | 2014 |
150 | Greece | 1.50 | 2003 |
150 | Netherlands | 1.50 | 2009 |
152 | Estonia | 1.20 | 2014 |
More rankings: Africa | Asia | Central America & the Caribbean | Europe | Middle East | North America | Oceania | South America | World |
Aggregation method: Linear mixed-effect model estimates
Periodicity: Annual
General Comments: Undernourished children have lower resistance to infection and are more likely to die from common childhood ailments such as diarrheal diseases and respiratory infections. Frequent illness saps the nutritional status of those who survive, locking them int