Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Africa (WHO region)
Africa (WHO region): Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) was 31.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
31.7%
Change on year
up 0.3%
Rank
2nd
of 19 groups
All-time high
46.5%
in 1991
All-time low
31.3%
in 2021
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Africa (WHO region), 1990–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2024, stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Africa (WHO region) stood at 31.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and down 7.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Africa (WHO region) peaked at 46.5% in 1991 and was at its lowest, 31.3%, in 2021.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 35 years of available data.
Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Africa (WHO region), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 46.3% | — |
| 1991 | 46.5% | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 46.5% | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 46.3% | -0.4% |
| 1994 | 46.0% | -0.6% |
| 1995 | 45.6% | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 45.0% | -1.3% |
| 1997 | 44.4% | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 43.8% | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 43.4% | -0.9% |
| 2000 | 43.0% | -0.9% |
| 2001 | 42.7% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 42.4% | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 42.0% | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 41.5% | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 41.0% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 40.4% | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 39.7% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 38.8% | -2.3% |
| 2009 | 37.9% | -2.3% |
| 2010 | 37.0% | -2.4% |
| 2011 | 36.2% | -2.2% |
| 2012 | 35.4% | -2.2% |
| 2013 | 34.8% | -1.7% |
| 2014 | 34.3% | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 33.8% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 33.3% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 32.7% | -1.8% |
| 2018 | 32.2% | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 31.7% | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 31.4% | -0.9% |
| 2021 | 31.3% | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 31.4% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 31.6% | +0.6% |
| 2024 | 31.7% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 45.4% | 43.4% | 46.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 40.9% | 37.9% | 43.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.1% | 31.7% | 37.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 31.5% | 31.3% | 31.7% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa (WHO region)
More health data for Africa (WHO region)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, gaps filled 12,202 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 20,578 (2025)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1,654 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 179,400 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 20,261 (2025)
- Number of under-five deaths, annual growth rate -1.43 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of neonatal deaths, annual growth rate -0.0365 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8695 % change on previous year (2024)
- Measles - number of reported cases, annual growth rate -8.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, annual growth rate 160.28 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Africa (WHO region)?
- Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Africa (WHO region) was 31.7% in 2024, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The highest recorded value was 46.5% in 1991.
- What is the lowest stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.3% in 2021.
- How does Africa (WHO region) rank for stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%)?
- Africa (WHO region) ranks 2nd out of 19 groups with data for 2024.
- Is stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) rising or falling in Africa (WHO region)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 7.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa (WHO region) data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (% height-for-age <-2 SD), model-based estimates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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