Prevalence of stunting, height for age (modeled estimate, %) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Prevalence of stunting, height for age (modeled estimate, %) was 32.3% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2024
Source: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Analysis
In 2024, prevalence of stunting, height for age in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 32.3%.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 7.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of stunting, height for age in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 43.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 31.9%, in 2021.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 8th out of 45 groups 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 Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 43.2% | — |
| 2001 | 42.9% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 42.6% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 42.2% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 41.8% | -1.1% |
| 2005 | 41.3% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 40.7% | -1.4% |
| 2007 | 40.0% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 39.2% | -2.0% |
| 2009 | 38.4% | -2.1% |
| 2010 | 37.5% | -2.3% |
| 2011 | 36.7% | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 36.0% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 35.4% | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 34.9% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 34.4% | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 33.9% | -1.4% |
| 2017 | 33.4% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 32.8% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 32.4% | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 32.0% | -1.1% |
| 2021 | 31.9% | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 32.0% | +0.5% |
| 2023 | 32.1% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 32.3% | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 41.2% | 38.4% | 43.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.7% | 32.4% | 37.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 32.1% | 31.9% | 32.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 5 Papua New Guinea 47.6% compare
- 6 Yemen 47.4% compare
- 7 East Timor 45.4% compare
- 8 Guatemala 44.6% compare
- 9 Democratic Republic of Congo 44.1% compare
- 10 Afghanistan 42.0% compare
- 11 Central African Republic 38.9% compare
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 3.23 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, annual growth rate 3.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0235 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, annual growth rate 1.54 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 3.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.024 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of stunting, height for age in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Sub-Saharan Africa was 32.3% 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 43.2% in 2000.
- What is the lowest prevalence of stunting, height for age recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.9% in 2021.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for prevalence of stunting, height for age?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 8th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of stunting, height for age rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa 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.