Prevalence of stunting, height for age, female (% of children under 5) - Country Ranking

Definition: Prevalence of stunting, female, is the percentage of girls 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: World Health Organization, Global Database on Child Growth and Malnutrition. Country-level data are unadjusted data from national surveys, and thus may not be comparable across countries.

See also: Thematic map, Time series comparison

Find indicator:
Rank Country Value Year
1 Eritrea 51.60 2010
2 Burundi 50.70 2019
3 Timor-Leste 48.50 2013
4 Papua New Guinea 47.90 2010
5 Guatemala 46.10 2015
6 Yemen 45.30 2013
7 Niger 44.50 2019
8 Madagascar 38.50 2018
9 Dem. Rep. Congo 38.20 2017
10 Afghanistan 38.10 2018
11 Mozambique 38.00 2015
12 Malawi 37.80 2019
13 Central African Republic 37.40 2019
14 Pakistan 37.10 2018
15 Libya 36.90 2014
16 Sudan 36.10 2014
17 Chad 35.70 2019
18 Angola 34.10 2015
19 India 34.00 2017
20 Bhutan 33.60 2010
21 Ethiopia 33.40 2019
22 Djibouti 33.30 2012
23 Lesotho 32.70 2018
24 Lao PDR 32.10 2017
24 Philippines 32.10 2015
26 Cambodia 31.90 2014
27 Zambia 31.00 2018
28 Nepal 30.00 2019
29 Indonesia 29.70 2018
30 Solomon Islands 29.60 2015
31 Tanzania 29.40 2018
32 Rwanda 29.20 2020
32 Comoros 29.20 2012
34 Benin 29.10 2018
35 Bangladesh 27.90 2019
35 Liberia 27.90 2019
37 Nigeria 26.90 2020
37 Uganda 26.90 2016
39 Syrian Arab Republic 26.80 2010
39 Sierra Leone 26.80 2019
39 Guinea 26.80 2018
39 Myanmar 26.80 2018
43 Cameroon 26.60 2018
44 Botswana 26.30 2007
45 Nauru 25.80 2007
46 Guinea-Bissau 24.80 2019
47 Vanuatu 24.50 2013
48 Mali 23.70 2019
49 Malaysia 23.50 2019
50 Ukraine 22.80 2000
51 Somalia 22.70 2009
52 Kenya 22.40 2014
53 Equatorial Guinea 22.20 2011
54 Eswatini 21.80 2014
55 Vietnam 21.60 2010
56 Togo 21.30 2017
56 Burkina Faso 21.30 2019
58 Ecuador 21.20 2019
59 Egypt 20.80 2014
59 Honduras 20.80 2012
61 Namibia 20.40 2013
61 Zimbabwe 20.40 2019
63 Mauritania 20.10 2018
64 Congo 20.00 2014
65 Côte d'Ivoire 19.90 2016
65 Dem. People's Rep. Korea 19.90 2017
65 Haiti 19.90 2017
68 South Africa 17.80 2017
69 Azerbaijan 17.50 2013
70 Tajikistan 17.20 2017
71 Lebanon 17.00 2004
72 Senegal 16.80 2019
73 Brunei 16.70 2009
74 Sri Lanka 16.60 2016
75 Nicaragua 16.40 2012
75 The Gambia 16.40 2020
77 Bolivia 16.10 2016
78 Ghana 15.60 2017
79 Gabon 14.70 2012
80 Mexico 14.00 2019
80 Kiribati 14.00 2018
82 Panama 13.80 2019
83 Belize 13.70 2015
84 Iraq 13.00 2018
85 Morocco 12.60 2017
86 El Salvador 12.00 2014
87 Peru 11.60 2019
88 Thailand 11.40 2019
89 Romania 11.10 2002
90 Albania 11.00 2017
90 Colombia 11.00 2016
92 Kyrgyz Republic 10.90 2018
93 São Tomé and Principe 10.40 2019
94 Uzbekistan 10.10 2017
94 Tuvalu 10.10 2007
96 Oman 10.00 2017
97 Guyana 9.90 2014
98 Jamaica 9.00 2016
99 Bosnia and Herzegovina 8.90 2012
100 Tunisia 8.80 2018
101 Montenegro 8.50 2018
102 Kazakhstan 8.30 2015
103 Algeria 7.90 2019
104 Armenia 7.80 2016
104 Mongolia 7.80 2018
104 Saudi Arabia 7.80 2004
107 Costa Rica 7.70 2018
108 China 7.20 2013
109 Argentina 7.10 2019
110 Moldova 7.00 2012
111 Fiji 6.90 2004
111 Samoa 6.90 2019
111 Turkmenistan 6.90 2019
111 Seychelles 6.90 2012
115 Iran 6.60 2010
116 Japan 6.50 2010
116 Cuba 6.50 2019
116 Suriname 6.50 2018
116 Uruguay 6.50 2018
120 Trinidad and Tobago 6.40 2011
120 Barbados 6.40 2012
120 Georgia 6.40 2018
123 Jordan 6.20 2012
124 Dominican Republic 6.10 2013
125 Turkey 5.80 2018
125 Brazil 5.80 2007
127 Kuwait 4.50 2014
128 Paraguay 4.40 2016
129 Belarus 4.20 2005
130 Bulgaria 4.10 2014
130 United States 4.10 2018
132 North Macedonia 4.00 2019
133 Portugal 3.50 2016
134 Belgium 3.10 2014
134 Serbia 3.10 2019
136 Korea 2.50 2003
137 Germany 2.20 2016
137 Czech Republic 2.20 2001
139 Greece 1.90 2003
140 Estonia 1.80 2014
140 Tonga 1.80 2019
142 Chile 1.60 2014
143 Netherlands 1.30 2009
144 St. Lucia 1.00 2012
144 Poland 1.00 2011

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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