Prevalence of stunting, height for age, female in South Asia (IDA & IBRD)
South Asia (IDA & IBRD): Prevalence of stunting, height for age, female was 30.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of stunting, height for age, female in South Asia (IDA & IBRD), 2000–2024
Source: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of stunting, height for age, female in South Asia (IDA & IBRD) stood at 30.5%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 19.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of stunting, height for age, female in South Asia (IDA & IBRD) peaked at 49.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 30.5%, in 2023.
That places South Asia (IDA & IBRD) 4th out of 45 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Prevalence of stunting, height for age, female in South Asia (IDA & IBRD), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 49.8% | — |
| 2001 | 49.2% | -1.2% |
| 2002 | 48.7% | -1.0% |
| 2003 | 48.2% | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 47.5% | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 46.9% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 46.3% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 45.5% | -1.8% |
| 2008 | 44.6% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 43.6% | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 42.5% | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 41.2% | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 40.1% | -2.8% |
| 2013 | 39.0% | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 37.8% | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 36.8% | -2.8% |
| 2016 | 35.7% | -2.9% |
| 2017 | 34.7% | -3.0% |
| 2018 | 33.5% | -3.3% |
| 2019 | 32.5% | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 31.6% | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 31.0% | -2.1% |
| 2022 | 30.7% | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 30.5% | -0.8% |
| 2024 | 30.5% | +0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 47.0% | 43.6% | 49.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 37.4% | 32.5% | 42.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.8% | 30.5% | 31.6% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Asia (IDA & IBRD)
More health data for South Asia (IDA & IBRD)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, female, per capita 0.0406 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, female, annual growth rate 2.35 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, per capita 0.0305 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, male, annual growth rate -1.31 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, annual growth rate 2.55 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per capita 0.029 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 2.39 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, male, per capita 0.0444 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of stunting, height for age, female in South Asia (IDA & IBRD)?
- Prevalence of stunting, height for age, female in South Asia (IDA & IBRD) was 30.5% in 2024, according to Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest prevalence of stunting, height for age, female recorded in South Asia (IDA & IBRD)?
- The highest recorded value was 49.8% in 2000.
- What is the lowest prevalence of stunting, height for age, female recorded in South Asia (IDA & IBRD)?
- The lowest recorded value was 30.5% in 2023.
- How does South Asia (IDA & IBRD) rank for prevalence of stunting, height for age, female?
- South Asia (IDA & IBRD) ranks 4th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of stunting, height for age, female rising or falling in South Asia (IDA & IBRD)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Asia (IDA & IBRD) data come from?
- The figures come from Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published as part of Prevalence of stunting, height for age, female (modeled estimate, % of children under 5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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 2006 Child Growth Standards.