Height-for-age <-2 SD in India

India: Height-for-age <-2 SD was 35.47 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
35.47
Change on year
down 1.8%
World rank
14th
of 96 countries
All-time high
62.7
in 1989
All-time low
35.47
in 2020
Years of data
10
1989–2020

Height-for-age <-2 SD in India, 1989–2020

02040601989200420201989: 62.71991: 61.91992: 57.11997: 45.91999: 512006: 47.82014: 38.72015: 37.92017: 36.12020: 35.5

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

In 2020, height-for-age <-2 sd in India stood at 35.47. That is the lowest value across all 10 years on record.

That represents a change of down 1.8% on the previous year and down 25.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, height-for-age <-2 sd in India peaked at 62.7 in 1989 and was at its lowest, 35.47, in 2020.

That places India 14th out of 96 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 62.7 62.7 62.7 1
1990s 53.97 45.9 61.9 4
2000s 47.76 47.76 47.76 1
2010s 37.57 36.12 38.7 3
2020s 35.47 35.47 35.47 1

Countries ranked near India

  1. 11 Ethiopia 36.78 compare
  2. 12 Mozambique 36.73 compare
  3. 13 Lesotho 35.57 compare
  4. 15 Malawi 34.9 compare
  5. 16 Zambia 34.59 compare
  6. 17 Benin 34.13 compare

See the full ranking of 96 places →

More health data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is height-for-age <-2 sd in India?
Height-for-age <-2 sd in India was 35.47 in 2020, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest height-for-age <-2 sd recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 62.7 in 1989.
What is the lowest height-for-age <-2 sd recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 35.47 in 2020.
How does India rank for height-for-age <-2 sd?
India ranks 14th out of 96 countries with data for 2020.
Is height-for-age <-2 sd rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this India data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Height-for-age <-2 SD (stunting). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).

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Height-for-age <-2 SD in India. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 21 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/height-for-age-2-sd-stunting/india/

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<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/stat/height-for-age-2-sd-stunting/india/">Height-for-age <-2 SD in India</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Height-for-age <-2 SD (stunting)
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
96 places, 948 data points, 1985–2024
Last refreshed