Prevalence of stunting, height for age, female in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Prevalence of stunting, height for age, female was 20.4% in 2019. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of stunting, height for age, female in Zimbabwe, 1988–2019
Source: UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology., UN Children'. Measured in % of children under 5.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 20.4% for prevalence of stunting, height for age, female in 2019. That is the lowest value across all 10 years on record.
The figure is down 37.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of stunting, height for age, female in Zimbabwe peaked at 32.4% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 20.4%, in 2019.
That places Zimbabwe 40th out of 83 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 10 years of available data.
Prevalence of stunting, height for age, female in Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 28.8% | — |
| 1994 | 26.8% | -6.9% |
| 1999 | 31.9% | +19.0% |
| 2005 | 32.3% | +1.3% |
| 2009 | 32.4% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 28.5% | -12.0% |
| 2012 | 28.3% | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 24.1% | -14.8% |
| 2015 | 24.2% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 20.4% | -15.7% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 20.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 21.9%, 93% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 20.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 26.6%, 77% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 28.8% | 28.8% | 28.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 29.4% | 26.8% | 31.9% | 2 |
| 2000s | 32.3% | 32.3% | 32.4% | 2 |
| 2010s | 25.1% | 20.4% | 28.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More health data for Zimbabwe
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.39 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.11 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 874.6 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,457 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.9632 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0689 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.9673 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of stunting, height for age, female in Zimbabwe?
- Prevalence of stunting, height for age, female in Zimbabwe was 20.4% in 2019, according to UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology., UN Children'.
- What is the highest prevalence of stunting, height for age, female recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 32.4% in 2009.
- What is the lowest prevalence of stunting, height for age, female recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 20.4% in 2019.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for prevalence of stunting, height for age, female?
- Zimbabwe ranks 40th out of 83 countries with data for 2019.
- Is prevalence of stunting, height for age, female rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 37.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology., UN Children', published as part of Prevalence of stunting, height for age, female (% 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.