Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Americas (WHO region)
Americas (WHO region): Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) was 9.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Latest (2024)
9.9%
Change on year
up 2.1%
Rank
15th
of 19 groups
All-time high
17.2%
in 1990
All-time low
9.3%
in 2018
Years of data
35
1990–2024
Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Americas (WHO region), 1990–2024
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2024, stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Americas (WHO region) stood at 9.9%.
The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Americas (WHO region) peaked at 17.2% in 1990 and was at its lowest, 9.3%, in 2018.
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 Americas (WHO region), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 17.2% | — |
| 1991 | 17.2% | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 17.1% | -0.6% |
| 1993 | 16.9% | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 16.7% | -1.2% |
| 1995 | 16.3% | -2.4% |
| 1996 | 15.9% | -2.5% |
| 1997 | 15.4% | -3.1% |
| 1998 | 14.9% | -3.2% |
| 1999 | 14.4% | -3.4% |
| 2000 | 13.9% | -3.5% |
| 2001 | 13.6% | -2.2% |
| 2002 | 13.2% | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 12.8% | -3.0% |
| 2004 | 12.5% | -2.3% |
| 2005 | 12.1% | -3.2% |
| 2006 | 11.8% | -2.5% |
| 2007 | 11.4% | -3.4% |
| 2008 | 11.0% | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 10.6% | -3.6% |
| 2010 | 10.3% | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 10.0% | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 9.8% | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 9.6% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 9.5% | -1.0% |
| 2015 | 9.5% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 9.4% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 9.4% | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 9.3% | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 9.3% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 9.3% | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 9.4% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 9.6% | +2.1% |
| 2023 | 9.7% | +1.0% |
| 2024 | 9.9% | +2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 16.2% | 14.4% | 17.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 12.3% | 10.6% | 13.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.6% | 9.3% | 10.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.6% | 9.3% | 9.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Americas (WHO region)
More health data for Americas (WHO region)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, gaps filled 24,640 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 385 (2025)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 23 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 12,380 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 72 (2025)
- Number of under-five deaths, annual growth rate -2.83 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of neonatal deaths, annual growth rate -3.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Number of infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.68 % change on previous year (2024)
- Measles - number of reported cases, annual growth rate 22.22 % change on previous year (2024)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, annual growth rate -20.67 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Americas (WHO region)?
- Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) in Americas (WHO region) was 9.9% 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 Americas (WHO region)?
- The highest recorded value was 17.2% in 1990.
- What is the lowest stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) recorded in Americas (WHO region)?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.3% in 2018.
- How does Americas (WHO region) rank for stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%)?
- Americas (WHO region) ranks 15th out of 19 groups with data for 2024.
- Is stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (%) rising or falling in Americas (WHO region)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Americas (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.
Download this data
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