Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in Southern Asia

Southern Asia: Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted was 31.4% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
31.4%
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
3rd
of 30 groups
All-time high
48.2%
in 2000
All-time low
31.4%
in 2023
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in Southern Asia, 2000–2024

010203040502000201220242000: 48.22001: 47.82002: 47.42003: 472004: 46.62005: 46.12006: 45.62007: 44.92008: 44.12009: 43.32010: 42.32011: 41.22012: 40.22013: 39.32014: 38.32015: 37.32016: 36.32017: 35.22018: 34.22019: 33.22020: 32.42021: 31.82022: 31.52023: 31.42024: 31.4

Source: United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database.

Analysis

Southern Asia recorded 31.4% for proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

That represents a change of down 18.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in Southern Asia peaked at 48.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 31.4%, in 2023.

That places Southern Asia 3rd out of 30 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.

Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in Southern Asia, year by year

Annual values for Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted (%) in Southern Asia, 2000 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2000 48.2%
2001 47.8% -0.8%
2002 47.4% -0.8%
2003 47.0% -0.8%
2004 46.6% -0.9%
2005 46.1% -1.1%
2006 45.6% -1.1%
2007 44.9% -1.5%
2008 44.1% -1.8%
2009 43.3% -1.8%
2010 42.3% -2.3%
2011 41.2% -2.6%
2012 40.2% -2.4%
2013 39.3% -2.2%
2014 38.3% -2.5%
2015 37.3% -2.6%
2016 36.3% -2.7%
2017 35.2% -3.0%
2018 34.2% -2.8%
2019 33.2% -2.9%
2020 32.4% -2.4%
2021 31.8% -1.9%
2022 31.5% -0.9%
2023 31.4% -0.3%
2024 31.4% +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 46.1% 43.3% 48.2% 10
2010s 37.8% 33.2% 42.3% 10
2020s 31.7% 31.4% 32.4% 5

Countries ranked near Southern Asia

  1. 1 Burundi 55.3% compare
  2. 1 Timor-Leste 45.4% compare
  3. 2 Democratic Republic of the Congo 44.1% compare
  4. 2 Niger 48.3% compare
  5. 3 Eritrea 48.0% compare
  6. 4 Angola 47.7% compare
  7. 5 Papua New Guinea 47.6% compare
  8. 6 Yemen 47.4% compare

See the full ranking of 198 places →

More infrastructure data for Southern Asia

All data for Southern Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in Southern Asia?
Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in Southern Asia was 31.4% 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 Asia?
The highest recorded value was 48.2% in 2000.
What is the lowest proportion of children moderately or severely stunted recorded in Southern Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 31.4% in 2023.
How does Southern Asia rank for proportion of children moderately or severely stunted?
Southern Asia ranks 3rd out of 30 groups with data for 2024.
Is proportion of children moderately or severely stunted rising or falling in Southern Asia?
Over the last ten years it is down 18.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Southern Asia 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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Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted in Southern Asia. Statizoid, drawing on United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://infrastructure.statizoid.com/stat/proportion-of-children-moderately-or-severely-stunted-percent/southern-asia/

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About this data

Indicator
Proportion of children moderately or severely stunted (%)
Source
United Nations Statistics Division, SDG Global Database
Licence
UN SDG Global Database (open, attribution requested)
Coverage
198 places, 4,950 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed