Prevalence of stunting, height for age in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Prevalence of stunting, height for age was 3.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of stunting, height for age in United Kingdom, 2000–2024
Source: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME), UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
Analysis
The most recent figure for prevalence of stunting, height for age in United Kingdom is 3.5%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 2.9% on the previous year and up 25.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of stunting, height for age in United Kingdom peaked at 3.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 2.8%, in 2012.
United Kingdom ranks 140th 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 United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 3.6% | — |
| 2001 | 3.5% | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 3.5% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 3.4% | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 3.3% | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 3.3% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 3.2% | -3.0% |
| 2007 | 3.2% | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 3.1% | -3.1% |
| 2009 | 3.0% | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 2.9% | -3.3% |
| 2011 | 2.9% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 2.8% | -3.4% |
| 2013 | 2.8% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 2.8% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 2.9% | +3.6% |
| 2016 | 2.9% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 2.9% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 3.0% | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 3.0% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 3.1% | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 3.2% | +3.2% |
| 2022 | 3.3% | +3.1% |
| 2023 | 3.4% | +3.0% |
| 2024 | 3.5% | +2.9% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 3.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.5%, 1.0× the median. (37 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 3.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.3%, 81% of the median. (32 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 3.3% | 3.0% | 3.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.9% | 2.8% | 3.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.3% | 3.1% | 3.5% | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 137 Moldova 4.2% compare
- 137 United States 4.2% compare
- 139 North Macedonia 3.8% compare
- 140 Malta 3.5% compare
- 142 Paraguay 3.2% compare
- 142 Portugal 3.2% compare
- 142 Turks and Caicos Islands 3.2% compare
More health data for United Kingdom
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.71 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.0265 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,134 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 461 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.7128 % 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 0.0247 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.7724 % 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 United Kingdom?
- Prevalence of stunting, height for age in United Kingdom was 3.5% 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 3.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest prevalence of stunting, height for age recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.8% in 2012.
- How does United Kingdom rank for prevalence of stunting, height for age?
- United Kingdom ranks 140th out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
- Is prevalence of stunting, height for age rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 25.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
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.