Malaysia vs South Africa: Prevalence of stunting, height for age

Malaysia
24.3%
in 2024
South Africa
24.4%
in 2024
Malaysia rank
41st
South Africa rank
40th

Prevalence of stunting, height for age over time

  • Malaysia
  • South Africa
0102030200020122024

How they compare

South Africa currently reports 24.4% against 24.3% in Malaysia, a difference of 0.1%.

Across all 25 years both countries report, South Africa has been ahead every year.

Malaysia ranks 41st and South Africa ranks 40th of 162 countries.

South Africa has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade Malaysia South Africa Difference Ahead
2000s 18.4% 25.7% 7.3% South Africa
2010s 19.3% 22.3% 3.0% South Africa
2020s 23.0% 23.4% 0.5% South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher prevalence of stunting, height for age, Malaysia or South Africa?
South Africa, at 24.4% against 24.3% in Malaysia as of 2024.
What is the difference in prevalence of stunting, height for age between Malaysia and South Africa?
0.1%, with South Africa ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Malaysia and South Africa?
25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
How do Malaysia and South Africa rank globally for prevalence of stunting, height for age?
Malaysia ranks 41st and South Africa ranks 40th of 162 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published as Prevalence of stunting, height for age (modeled estimate, % of children under 5). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Malaysia vs South Africa: Prevalence of stunting, height for age. Statizoid, drawing on Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/prevalence-of-stunting-height-for-age-modeled-estimate-percent-of-children-under-5/malaysia/south-africa/

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<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/compare/prevalence-of-stunting-height-for-age-modeled-estimate-percent-of-children-under-5/malaysia/south-africa/">Malaysia vs South Africa: Prevalence of stunting, height for age</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of stunting, height for age (modeled estimate, % of children under 5)
Source
Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
207 places, 5,161 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

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 2006 Child Growth Standards.