Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Nicaragua

Nicaragua: Prevalence of stunting, height for age was 17.3% in 2012. ▼ Falling

Latest (2012)
17.3%
World rank
57th
of 97 countries
All-time high
30.5%
in 1998
All-time low
17.3%
in 2012
Years of data
7
1993–2012

Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Nicaragua, 1993–2012

01020301993200220121993: 29.6 % of children under 51998: 30.5 % of children under 52001: 25.1 % of children under 52004: 18.8 % of children under 52005: 21.5 % of children under 52007: 23.1 % of children under 52012: 17.3 % of children under 5

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 Nicaragua is 17.3%, measured in 2012. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.

That represents a change of down 31.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of stunting, height for age in Nicaragua peaked at 30.5% in 1998 and was at its lowest, 17.3%, in 2012.

Nicaragua ranks 57th of 97 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Nicaragua, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of stunting, height for age (% of children under 5) in Nicaragua, 1993 to 2012.
Year % of children under 5 Change
1993 29.6%
1998 30.5% +3.0%
2001 25.1% -17.7%
2004 18.8% -25.1%
2005 21.5% +14.4%
2007 23.1% +7.4%
2012 17.3% -25.1%

Nicaragua compared with similar countries

  • Nicaragua's 17.3% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 22.7%, 76% of the median. (38 countries reporting)
  • Nicaragua's 17.3% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 12.6%, 1.4× the median. (16 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 30.1% 29.6% 30.5% 2
2000s 22.1% 18.8% 25.1% 4
2010s 17.3% 17.3% 17.3% 1

Countries ranked near Nicaragua

  1. 55 Ecuador 17.4% compare
  2. 55 Ghana 17.4% compare
  3. 58 Bolivia, Plurinational State of 16.1% compare
  4. 59 Maldives 15.3% compare
  5. 60 Morocco 14.2% compare

See the full ranking of 97 places →

More health data for Nicaragua

All data for Nicaragua →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of stunting, height for age in Nicaragua?
Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Nicaragua was 17.3% in 2012, 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 Nicaragua?
The highest recorded value was 30.5% in 1998.
What is the lowest prevalence of stunting, height for age recorded in Nicaragua?
The lowest recorded value was 17.3% in 2012.
How does Nicaragua rank for prevalence of stunting, height for age?
Nicaragua ranks 57th out of 97 countries with data for 2012.
Is prevalence of stunting, height for age rising or falling in Nicaragua?
Over the last ten years it is down 31.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Nicaragua 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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Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Nicaragua. Statizoid, drawing on 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'. Retrieved 17 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-stunting-height-for-age-percent-of-children-under-5/nicaragua/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of stunting, height for age (% of children under 5)
Unit
% of children under 5
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'
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
97 places, 955 data points, 1984–2024
Last refreshed

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.