Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Myanmar
Myanmar: Prevalence of stunting, height for age was 26.7% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Myanmar, 1991–2018
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 2018, prevalence of stunting, height for age in Myanmar stood at 26.7%. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.
The figure is down 9.2% on the previous year and down 23.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of stunting, height for age in Myanmar peaked at 58.7% in 1994 and was at its lowest, 26.7%, in 2018.
That places Myanmar 27th out of 97 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Myanmar, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 53.6% | — |
| 1994 | 58.7% | +9.5% |
| 1997 | 55.4% | -5.6% |
| 2000 | 40.8% | -26.4% |
| 2003 | 42.7% | +4.7% |
| 2009 | 35.1% | -17.8% |
| 2016 | 29.4% | -16.2% |
| 2018 | 26.7% | -9.2% |
Myanmar compared with similar countries
- Myanmar's 26.7% is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 22.7%, 1.2× the median. (38 countries reporting)
- Myanmar's 26.7% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 21.2%, 1.3× the median. (13 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 55.9% | 53.6% | 58.7% | 3 |
| 2000s | 39.5% | 35.1% | 42.7% | 3 |
| 2010s | 28.0% | 26.7% | 29.4% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Myanmar
- 24 Cameroon 28.9% compare
- 25 Guinea-Bissau 28.1% compare
- 26 Syrian Arab Republic 27.9% compare
- 27 Philippines 26.7% compare
- 29 Sierra Leone 26.3% compare
- 30 Guinea 26.1% compare
More health data for Myanmar
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.11 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.1576 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,398 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 2,973 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.759 % 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 0.0387 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.8351 % 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 Myanmar?
- Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Myanmar was 26.7% in 2018, 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 Myanmar?
- The highest recorded value was 58.7% in 1994.
- What is the lowest prevalence of stunting, height for age recorded in Myanmar?
- The lowest recorded value was 26.7% in 2018.
- How does Myanmar rank for prevalence of stunting, height for age?
- Myanmar ranks 27th out of 97 countries with data for 2018.
- Is prevalence of stunting, height for age rising or falling in Myanmar?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Myanmar 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.