Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted (%) in Southern Africa
Southern Africa: Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted (%) was 24.1% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in Southern Africa, 2000–2024
Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Measured in per pop u5.
Analysis
Southern Africa recorded 24.1% for proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in 2024.
That represents a change of up 1.7% on the previous year and up 5.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in Southern Africa peaked at 27.8% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 22.5%, in 2018.
Southern Africa ranks 11th of 32 groups on this measure, 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 Southern Africa, year by year
| Year | per pop u5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 27.8% | — |
| 2001 | 27.6% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 27.6% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 27.6% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 27.5% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 27.3% | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 27.0% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 26.3% | -2.6% |
| 2008 | 25.6% | -2.7% |
| 2009 | 24.9% | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 24.1% | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 23.5% | -2.5% |
| 2012 | 23.2% | -1.3% |
| 2013 | 23.0% | -0.9% |
| 2014 | 22.9% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 22.8% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 22.7% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 22.6% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 22.5% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 22.5% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 22.6% | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 22.9% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | 23.3% | +1.7% |
| 2023 | 23.7% | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 24.1% | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 26.9% | 24.9% | 27.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 23.0% | 22.5% | 24.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 23.3% | 22.6% | 24.1% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Southern Africa
- 9 Guatemala 44.6% compare
- 10 Democratic Republic of the Congo 44.1% compare
- 11 Melanesia 43.6% compare
- 12 Afghanistan 42.0% compare
- 13 Central African Republic 38.9% compare
- 14 Madagascar 38.4% compare
More infrastructure data for Southern Africa
- Proportion of children moderately or severely overweight 12.1% (2024)
- Proportion of the target population who received 3 doses of 76.0% (2024)
- Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global 0.6% (2024)
- Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global 0.5% (2024)
- Proportion of population practicing open defecation, by urban/rural 2.3% (2024)
- Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global 0.3% (2024)
- Developing countries’ and least developed countries’ share of global 0.2% (2024)
- Total official flows for infrastructure, by recipient countries 2,644 million constant US$ (2024)
- Total reserves in months of imports 5.55 ratio (2024)
- Proportion of local breeds classified as being at risk of extinction 74.0% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in Southern Africa?
- Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in Southern Africa was 24.1% in 2024, according to United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.
- What is the highest proportion of children moderately or severely stunted recorded in Southern Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 27.8% in 2000.
- What is the lowest proportion of children moderately or severely stunted recorded in Southern Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 22.5% in 2018.
- How does Southern Africa rank for proportion of children moderately or severely stunted?
- Southern Africa ranks 11th out of 32 groups with data for 2024.
- Is proportion of children moderately or severely stunted rising or falling in Southern Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Southern Africa 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.
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