Prevalence of stunting, height for age (modeled estimate, %) in South Sudan
South Sudan: Prevalence of stunting, height for age (modeled estimate, %) was 30.0% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of stunting, height for age in South Sudan, 2000–2024
Source: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Analysis
South Sudan recorded 30.0% for prevalence of stunting, height for age in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of stunting, height for age in South Sudan peaked at 39.1% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 29.7%, in 2020.
That places South Sudan 25th out of 162 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Prevalence of stunting, height for age (modeled estimate, %) in South Sudan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 39.1% | — |
| 2001 | 38.6% | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 38.0% | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 37.4% | -1.6% |
| 2004 | 36.7% | -1.9% |
| 2005 | 36.0% | -1.9% |
| 2006 | 35.3% | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 34.5% | -2.3% |
| 2008 | 33.7% | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 32.9% | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 32.1% | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 31.3% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 31.0% | -1.0% |
| 2013 | 30.8% | -0.6% |
| 2014 | 30.6% | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 30.6% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 30.5% | -0.3% |
| 2017 | 30.3% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 30.1% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 29.9% | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 29.7% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 29.7% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 29.9% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 30.0% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 30.0% | +0.0% |
South Sudan compared with similar countries
- South Sudan's 30.0% is below the median for low income countries, which is 31.5%, 95% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- South Sudan's 30.0% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 24.8%, 1.2× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 36.2% | 32.9% | 39.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 30.7% | 29.9% | 32.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.9% | 29.7% | 30.0% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Sudan
More health data for South Sudan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.47 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.665 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 12,029 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 57 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2015)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0637 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.92 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2015)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0654 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of stunting, height for age in South Sudan?
- Prevalence of stunting, height for age in South Sudan was 30.0% 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 South Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 39.1% in 2000.
- What is the lowest prevalence of stunting, height for age recorded in South Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.7% in 2020.
- How does South Sudan rank for prevalence of stunting, height for age?
- South Sudan ranks 25th out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of stunting, height for age rising or falling in South Sudan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Sudan 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.