Prevalence of stunting, height for age, male in Africa Western and Central
Africa Western and Central: Prevalence of stunting, height for age, male was 31.8% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of stunting, height for age, male in Africa Western and Central, 2000–2024
Source: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of stunting, height for age, male in Africa Western and Central stood at 31.8%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 9.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of stunting, height for age, male in Africa Western and Central peaked at 41.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 31.5%, in 2021.
Africa Western and Central ranks 13th of 45 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Prevalence of stunting, height for age, male in Africa Western and Central, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 41.6% | — |
| 2001 | 41.5% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 41.4% | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 41.1% | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 40.8% | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 40.4% | -0.9% |
| 2006 | 40.1% | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 39.5% | -1.4% |
| 2008 | 38.9% | -1.7% |
| 2009 | 38.1% | -1.8% |
| 2010 | 37.4% | -1.9% |
| 2011 | 36.7% | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 36.0% | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 35.5% | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 35.0% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 34.5% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 33.9% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 33.3% | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 32.7% | -1.8% |
| 2019 | 32.1% | -1.8% |
| 2020 | 31.7% | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 31.5% | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 31.5% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 31.6% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 31.8% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 40.3% | 38.1% | 41.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.7% | 32.1% | 37.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.6% | 31.5% | 31.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa Western and Central
- 10 Afghanistan 42.7% compare
- 11 Central African Republic 41.5% compare
- 12 Madagascar 41.0% compare
- 13 Mozambique 40.0% compare
- 14 Lesotho 38.3% compare
- 15 Ethiopia 38.0% compare
- 16 Sudan 36.6% compare
More health data for Africa Western and Central
- Population ages 35-39, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 2.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0237 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 2.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0278 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, annual growth rate 2.24 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0277 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, female, annual growth rate 2.27 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of stunting, height for age, male in Africa Western and Central?
- Prevalence of stunting, height for age, male in Africa Western and Central was 31.8% in 2024, according to Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest prevalence of stunting, height for age, male recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The highest recorded value was 41.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest prevalence of stunting, height for age, male recorded in Africa Western and Central?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.5% in 2021.
- How does Africa Western and Central rank for prevalence of stunting, height for age, male?
- Africa Western and Central ranks 13th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of stunting, height for age, male rising or falling in Africa Western and Central?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Western and Central 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, male (modeled estimate, % of children under 5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Prevalence of stunting, male, is the percentage of boys 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.