Stunting numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) in World

World: Stunting numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) was 150,195 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
150,195
Change on year
up 0.3%
Rank
1st
of 13 groups
All-time high
260,911
in 1990
All-time low
149,813
in 2023
Years of data
35
1990–2024

Stunting numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) in World, 1990–2024

0100.0k200.0k300.0k1990200720241990: 260.9k1991: 258.1k1992: 252.6k1993: 246.4k1994: 239.7k1995: 232.2k1996: 225.2k1997: 219.2k1998: 214.1k1999: 210.0k2000: 207.2k2001: 205.7k2002: 204.7k2003: 203.4k2004: 201.9k2005: 200.3k2006: 198.3k2007: 195.7k2008: 192.9k2009: 190.1k2010: 186.9k2011: 183.5k2012: 180.4k2013: 177.5k2014: 174.4k2015: 171.2k2016: 167.9k2017: 164.0k2018: 159.8k2019: 156.1k2020: 153.0k2021: 150.8k2022: 150.1k2023: 149.8k2024: 150.2k

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

In 2024, stunting numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) in World stood at 150,195.

That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and down 13.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, stunting numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) in World peaked at 260,911 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 149,813, in 2023.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.

Stunting numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) in World, year by year

Annual values for Stunting numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions), model-based estimates in World, 1990 to 2024.
Year Value Change
1990 260,911
1991 258,102 -1.1%
1992 252,644 -2.1%
1993 246,353 -2.5%
1994 239,654 -2.7%
1995 232,184 -3.1%
1996 225,181 -3.0%
1997 219,214 -2.6%
1998 214,094 -2.3%
1999 209,953 -1.9%
2000 207,205 -1.3%
2001 205,712 -0.7%
2002 204,654 -0.5%
2003 203,389 -0.6%
2004 201,922 -0.7%
2005 200,288 -0.8%
2006 198,258 -1.0%
2007 195,679 -1.3%
2008 192,931 -1.4%
2009 190,101 -1.5%
2010 186,874 -1.7%
2011 183,496 -1.8%
2012 180,441 -1.7%
2013 177,517 -1.6%
2014 174,448 -1.7%
2015 171,225 -1.8%
2016 167,877 -2.0%
2017 163,968 -2.3%
2018 159,833 -2.5%
2019 156,071 -2.4%
2020 153,000 -2.0%
2021 150,788 -1.4%
2022 150,111 -0.4%
2023 149,813 -0.2%
2024 150,195 +0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 235,829 209,953 260,911 10
2000s 200,014 190,101 207,205 10
2010s 172,175 156,071 186,874 10
2020s 150,781 149,813 153,000 5

Countries ranked near World

  1. 1 India 37,401 compare
  2. 2 Nigeria 11,438 compare
  3. 3 Pakistan 10,739 compare
  4. 4 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 8,722 compare

See the full ranking of 176 places →

More health data for World

All data for World →

Frequently asked questions

What is stunting numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) in World?
Stunting numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) in World was 150,195 in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest stunting numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) recorded in World?
The highest recorded value was 260,911 in 1990.
What is the lowest stunting numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) recorded in World?
The lowest recorded value was 149,813 in 2023.
How does World rank for stunting numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions)?
World ranks 1st out of 13 groups with data for 2024.
Is stunting numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) rising or falling in World?
Over the last ten years it is down 13.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this World data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Stunting numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions), model-based estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Stunting numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions) in World. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/stunting-numbers-among-children-under-5-years-of-age-millions-model-based-estimates/world/

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About this data

Indicator
Stunting numbers among children under 5 years of age (millions), model-based estimates
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
176 places, 4,530 data points, 1990–2024
Last refreshed