Prevalence of stunting, height for age (% of children under 5) in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Prevalence of stunting, height for age (% of children under 5) was 44.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Democratic Republic of Congo, 1995–2023
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
Democratic Republic of Congo recorded 44.7% for prevalence of stunting, height for age in 2023.
That represents a change of up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of stunting, height for age in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 51.0% in 1995 and was at its lowest, 41.8%, in 2017.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 6th out of 97 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
Prevalence of stunting, height for age (% of children under 5) in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | 51.0% | — |
| 2001 | 44.4% | -12.9% |
| 2007 | 45.8% | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 43.4% | -5.2% |
| 2013 | 42.7% | -1.6% |
| 2017 | 41.8% | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 44.7% | +6.9% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 44.7% is above the median for low income countries, which is 33.1%, 1.4× the median. (21 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 44.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28.5%, 1.6× the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 51.0% | 51.0% | 51.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 45.1% | 44.4% | 45.8% | 2 |
| 2010s | 42.6% | 41.8% | 43.4% | 3 |
| 2020s | 44.7% | 44.7% | 44.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
- 3 Niger 47.7% compare
- 4 East Timor 46.7% compare
- 5 Guatemala 46.0% compare
- 7 Afghanistan 44.6% compare
- 8 Madagascar 39.8% compare
- 9 Central African Republic 37.9% compare
More health data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.56 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 133,650 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 390 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 2.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0895 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 2.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0905 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of stunting, height for age in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Democratic Republic of Congo was 44.7% in 2023, 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 recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 51.0% in 1995.
- What is the lowest prevalence of stunting, height for age recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.8% in 2017.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for prevalence of stunting, height for age?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 6th out of 97 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of stunting, height for age rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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 (% 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.