Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Guatemala
Guatemala: Prevalence of stunting, height for age was 46.0% in 2021. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Guatemala, 1987–2021
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
The most recent figure for prevalence of stunting, height for age in Guatemala is 46.0%, measured in 2021. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.
That represents a change of down 10.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of stunting, height for age in Guatemala peaked at 62.2% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 46.0%, in 2021.
Guatemala ranks 5th of 97 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Guatemala, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 62.2% | — |
| 1995 | 55.4% | -10.9% |
| 1999 | 53.1% | -4.2% |
| 2000 | 51.0% | -4.0% |
| 2002 | 54.8% | +7.5% |
| 2009 | 51.5% | -6.0% |
| 2015 | 46.7% | -9.3% |
| 2021 | 46.0% | -1.5% |
Guatemala compared with similar countries
- Guatemala's 46.0% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10.5%, 4.4× the median. (27 countries reporting)
- Guatemala's 46.0% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12.6%, 3.7× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 62.2% | 62.2% | 62.2% | 1 |
| 1990s | 54.2% | 53.1% | 55.4% | 2 |
| 2000s | 52.4% | 51.0% | 54.8% | 3 |
| 2010s | 46.7% | 46.7% | 46.7% | 1 |
| 2020s | 46.0% | 46.0% | 46.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Guatemala
- 2 Yemen 48.5% compare
- 3 Niger 47.7% compare
- 4 Timor-Leste 46.7% compare
- 6 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 44.7% compare
- 7 Afghanistan 44.6% compare
- 8 Madagascar 39.8% compare
More health data for Guatemala
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.92 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7968 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,202 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 1,022 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.4059 % 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 0.0487 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.3488 % 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 Guatemala?
- Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Guatemala was 46.0% in 2021, 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 Guatemala?
- The highest recorded value was 62.2% in 1987.
- What is the lowest prevalence of stunting, height for age recorded in Guatemala?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.0% in 2021.
- How does Guatemala rank for prevalence of stunting, height for age?
- Guatemala ranks 5th out of 97 countries with data for 2021.
- Is prevalence of stunting, height for age rising or falling in Guatemala?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Guatemala 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.