Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Bulgaria
Bulgaria: Prevalence of stunting, height for age was 5.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Bulgaria, 2000–2024
Source: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of stunting, height for age in Bulgaria stood at 5.5%. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 19.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of stunting, height for age in Bulgaria peaked at 8.9% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 5.5%, in 2023.
Bulgaria ranks 124th of 162 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Bulgaria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 8.7% | — |
| 2001 | 8.7% | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 8.8% | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 8.9% | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 8.9% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 8.8% | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 8.7% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 8.5% | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 8.3% | -2.4% |
| 2009 | 8.0% | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 7.7% | -3.7% |
| 2011 | 7.4% | -3.9% |
| 2012 | 7.2% | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 7.0% | -2.8% |
| 2014 | 6.8% | -2.9% |
| 2015 | 6.7% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 6.5% | -3.0% |
| 2017 | 6.4% | -1.5% |
| 2018 | 6.1% | -4.7% |
| 2019 | 6.0% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 5.8% | -3.3% |
| 2021 | 5.6% | -3.4% |
| 2022 | 5.6% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 5.5% | -1.8% |
| 2024 | 5.5% | +0.0% |
Bulgaria compared with similar countries
- Bulgaria's 5.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.5%, 1.6× the median. (37 countries reporting)
- Bulgaria's 5.5% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.3%, 1.3× the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 8.6% | 8.0% | 8.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.8% | 6.0% | 7.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.6% | 5.5% | 5.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Bulgaria
More health data for Bulgaria
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.5 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.615 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,422 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 39 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.2564 % 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 0.0222 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.3643 % 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 in Bulgaria?
- Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Bulgaria was 5.5% in 2024, according to Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest prevalence of stunting, height for age recorded in Bulgaria?
- The highest recorded value was 8.9% in 2003.
- What is the lowest prevalence of stunting, height for age recorded in Bulgaria?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.5% in 2023.
- How does Bulgaria rank for prevalence of stunting, height for age?
- Bulgaria ranks 124th out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of stunting, height for age rising or falling in Bulgaria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bulgaria 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 (modeled estimate, % of children under 5). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Prevalence of stunting is the percentage of children 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.