Prevalence of stunting, height for age, male in Malaysia

Malaysia: Prevalence of stunting, height for age, male was 21.8% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
21.8%
Change on year
down 6.4%
World rank
44th
of 83 countries
All-time high
23.3%
in 2019
All-time low
17.8%
in 2006
Years of data
5
2006–2022

Prevalence of stunting, height for age, male in Malaysia, 2006–2022

05101520252006201420222006: 17.8 % of children under 52015: 18 % of children under 52016: 22.4 % of children under 52019: 23.3 % of children under 52022: 21.8 % of children under 5

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

Malaysia recorded 21.8% for prevalence of stunting, height for age, male in 2022.

The figure is down 6.4% on the previous year and up 21.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of stunting, height for age, male in Malaysia peaked at 23.3% in 2019 and was at its lowest, 17.8%, in 2006.

Malaysia ranks 44th of 83 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Prevalence of stunting, height for age, male in Malaysia, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of stunting, height for age, male (% of children under 5) in Malaysia, 2006 to 2022.
Year % of children under 5 Change
2006 17.8%
2015 18.0% +1.1%
2016 22.4% +24.4%
2019 23.3% +4.0%
2022 21.8% -6.4%

Malaysia compared with similar countries

  • Malaysia's 21.8% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 11.6%, 1.9× the median. (23 countries reporting)
  • Malaysia's 21.8% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 23.5%, 93% of the median. (12 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 17.8% 17.8% 17.8% 1
2010s 21.2% 18.0% 23.3% 3
2020s 21.8% 21.8% 21.8% 1

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 41 Vietnam 23.7% compare
  2. 42 Indonesia 23.4% compare
  3. 43 Eswatini 22.7% compare
  4. 45 Kenya 19.6% compare
  5. 46 Ghana 19.4% compare
  6. 47 Ecuador 19.2% compare
  7. 47 Honduras 19.2% compare

See the full ranking of 83 places →

More health data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of stunting, height for age, male in Malaysia?
Prevalence of stunting, height for age, male in Malaysia was 21.8% in 2022, 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, male recorded in Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 23.3% in 2019.
What is the lowest prevalence of stunting, height for age, male recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 17.8% in 2006.
How does Malaysia rank for prevalence of stunting, height for age, male?
Malaysia ranks 44th out of 83 countries with data for 2022.
Is prevalence of stunting, height for age, male rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 21.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malaysia 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, male (% of children under 5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prevalence of stunting, height for age, male in Malaysia. Statizoid, drawing on 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'. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-stunting-height-for-age-male-percent-of-children-under-5/malaysia/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of stunting, height for age, male (% of children under 5)
Unit
% of children under 5
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'
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
83 places, 730 data points, 1986–2024
Last refreshed

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.