Ghana - Prevalence of stunting, height for age (% of children under 5)

Prevalence of stunting, height for age (% of children under 5) in Ghana was 17.50 as of 2017. Its highest value over the past 29 years was 42.60 in 1988, while its lowest value was 17.50 in 2017.

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:

Year Value
1988 42.60
1993 41.20
1997 34.70
1998 30.60
2003 35.50
2006 27.90
2008 28.40
2011 22.80
2014 18.80
2017 17.50

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

Classification

Topic: Health Indicators

Sub-Topic: Nutrition