Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Maldives
Maldives: Prevalence of stunting, height for age was 15.3% in 2017. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Maldives, 1994–2017
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
In 2017, prevalence of stunting, height for age in Maldives stood at 15.3%. That is the lowest value across all 6 years on record.
The figure is down 19.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of stunting, height for age in Maldives peaked at 46.7% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 15.3%, in 2017.
That places Maldives 59th out of 97 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.
Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Maldives, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 36.1% | — |
| 1995 | 33.0% | -8.6% |
| 1997 | 46.7% | +41.5% |
| 2001 | 31.9% | -31.7% |
| 2009 | 19.0% | -40.4% |
| 2017 | 15.3% | -19.5% |
Maldives compared with similar countries
- Maldives's 15.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10.5%, 1.5× the median. (27 countries reporting)
- Maldives's 15.3% is below the median for South Asia, which is 20.8%, 74% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 38.6% | 33.0% | 46.7% | 3 |
| 2000s | 25.4% | 19.0% | 31.9% | 2 |
| 2010s | 15.3% | 15.3% | 15.3% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Maldives
- 57 Nicaragua 17.3% compare
- 58 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 16.1% compare
- 60 Morocco 14.2% compare
- 61 Kyrgyzstan 14.1% compare
- 62 Tajikistan 13.7% compare
More health data for Maldives
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -2.69 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,560 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 5 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.2 % 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 0.0264 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -3.8 % 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 Maldives?
- Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Maldives was 15.3% in 2017, 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 Maldives?
- The highest recorded value was 46.7% in 1997.
- What is the lowest prevalence of stunting, height for age recorded in Maldives?
- The lowest recorded value was 15.3% in 2017.
- How does Maldives rank for prevalence of stunting, height for age?
- Maldives ranks 59th out of 97 countries with data for 2017.
- Is prevalence of stunting, height for age rising or falling in Maldives?
- Over the last ten years it is down 19.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Maldives 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.