China vs United States: Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%)

China
4.5%
in 2024
United States
4.2%
in 2024
China rank
133rd
United States rank
136th

Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) over time

  • China
  • United States
05101520200020122024

How they compare

China currently reports 4.5% against 4.2% in United States, a difference of 0.3%.

That makes China's figure about 1.1 times United States's.

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

China ranks 133rd and United States ranks 136th of 161 countries.

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

Head to head by decade

Decade China United States Difference Ahead
2000s 14.3% 2.7% 11.6% China
2010s 6.7% 2.8% 3.9% China
2020s 4.7% 3.8% 0.9% China

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%), China or United States?
China, at 4.5% against 4.2% in United States as of 2024.
What is the difference in stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) between China and United States?
0.3%, with China ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
How do China and United States rank globally for stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%)?
China ranks 133rd and United States ranks 136th of 161 countries.
Where does this data come from?
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (% height-for-age <-2 SD), model-based estimates. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs United States: Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%). Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/stunting-prevalence-among-children-under-5-years-of-age-percent-height-for-age-2-sd-model/china/united-states/

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<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/compare/stunting-prevalence-among-children-under-5-years-of-age-percent-height-for-age-2-sd-model/china/united-states/">China vs United States: Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%)</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (% height-for-age <-2 SD), model-based estimates
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
182 places, 4,740 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed