Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Peru
Peru: Prevalence of stunting, height for age was 11.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Peru, 1991–2023
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
In 2023, prevalence of stunting, height for age in Peru stood at 11.5%.
That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and down 34.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of stunting, height for age in Peru peaked at 38.9% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 11.4%, in 2020.
That places Peru 70th out of 97 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Peru, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 37.3% | — |
| 1996 | 31.6% | -15.3% |
| 1997 | 38.9% | +23.1% |
| 1998 | 34.0% | -12.6% |
| 1999 | 36.1% | +6.2% |
| 2000 | 31.3% | -13.3% |
| 2001 | 37.3% | +19.2% |
| 2005 | 29.2% | -21.7% |
| 2007 | 28.0% | -4.1% |
| 2009 | 23.9% | -14.6% |
| 2010 | 23.3% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 19.5% | -16.3% |
| 2012 | 18.4% | -5.6% |
| 2013 | 17.6% | -4.3% |
| 2014 | 14.8% | -15.9% |
| 2015 | 14.7% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 13.1% | -10.9% |
| 2017 | 12.8% | -2.3% |
| 2018 | 12.2% | -4.7% |
| 2019 | 13.1% | +7.4% |
| 2020 | 11.4% | -13.0% |
| 2021 | 11.5% | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 11.7% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 11.5% | -1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 35.6% | 31.6% | 38.9% | 5 |
| 2000s | 29.9% | 23.9% | 37.3% | 5 |
| 2010s | 15.9% | 12.2% | 23.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 11.5% | 11.4% | 11.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Peru
More health data for Peru
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.88 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.5045 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,235 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 782 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.3081 % 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 0.038 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.302 % 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 Peru?
- Prevalence of stunting, height for age in Peru was 11.5% 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 Peru?
- The highest recorded value was 38.9% in 1997.
- What is the lowest prevalence of stunting, height for age recorded in Peru?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.4% in 2020.
- How does Peru rank for prevalence of stunting, height for age?
- Peru ranks 70th out of 97 countries with data for 2023.
- Is prevalence of stunting, height for age rising or falling in Peru?
- Over the last ten years it is down 34.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Peru 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.