Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted (%) in South America
South America: Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted (%) was 9.9% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in South America, 2000–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in per pop u5.
Analysis
South America recorded 9.9% for proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in 2024.
The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in South America peaked at 14.9% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 9.3%, in 2018.
That places South America 22nd out of 32 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted (%) in South America, year by year
| Year | per pop u5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 14.9% | — |
| 2001 | 14.4% | -3.4% |
| 2002 | 14.0% | -2.8% |
| 2003 | 13.6% | -2.9% |
| 2004 | 13.2% | -2.9% |
| 2005 | 12.9% | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 12.5% | -3.1% |
| 2007 | 12.1% | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 11.7% | -3.3% |
| 2009 | 11.3% | -3.4% |
| 2010 | 10.9% | -3.5% |
| 2011 | 10.5% | -3.7% |
| 2012 | 10.1% | -3.8% |
| 2013 | 9.9% | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 9.7% | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 9.6% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 9.5% | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 9.4% | -1.1% |
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 13.1% | 11.3% | 14.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.8% | 9.3% | 10.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.6% | 9.3% | 9.9% | 5 |
Countries ranked near South America
More infrastructure data for South America
- Proportion of children moderately or severely overweight 9.9% (2024)
- Proportion of the target population who received 3 doses of 83.0% (2024)
- Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global 2.6% (2024)
- Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global 3.0% (2024)
- Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural 0.8% (2024)
- Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global 2.6% (2024)
- Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global 1.3% (2024)
- Total official flows for infrastructure, by recipient countries 4,428 million constant US$ (2024)
- Total reserves in months of imports 7.62 ratio (2024)
- Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction 46.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in South America?
- Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in South America was 9.9% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of children moderately or severely stunted recorded in South America?
- The highest recorded value was 14.9% in 2000.
- What is the lowest proportion of children moderately or severely stunted recorded in South America?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.3% in 2018.
- How does South America rank for proportion of children moderately or severely stunted?
- South America ranks 22nd out of 32 groups with data for 2024.
- Is proportion of children moderately or severely stunted rising or falling in South America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South America data come from?
- The figures come from United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database, published as part of Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested).