Number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in Africa
Africa: Number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) was 64.8 million No in 2024. ▲ Rising
Number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in Africa, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in million No.
Analysis
In 2024, number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in Africa stood at 64.8 million No. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and up 4.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in Africa peaked at 64.8 million No in 2024 and was at its lowest, 55.7 million No, in 2000.
Africa ranks 3rd of 36 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in Africa, year by year
| Year | million No | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 55.7 million No | — |
| 2001 | 56.6 million No | +1.6% |
| 2002 | 57.5 million No | +1.6% |
| 2003 | 58.4 million No | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 59.2 million No | +1.4% |
| 2005 | 60 million No | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 60.7 million No | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 61.2 million No | +0.8% |
| 2008 | 61.5 million No | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 61.8 million No | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 61.8 million No | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 61.8 million No | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 61.7 million No | -0.2% |
| 2013 | 61.7 million No | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 61.8 million No | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 61.9 million No | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 61.8 million No | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 61.6 million No | -0.3% |
| 2018 | 61.3 million No | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 61.1 million No | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 61.1 million No | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 61.5 million No | +0.7% |
| 2022 | 62.6 million No | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 63.6 million No | +1.6% |
| 2024 | 64.8 million No | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 59.26 million No | 55.7 million No | 61.8 million No | 10 |
| 2010s | 61.65 million No | 61.1 million No | 61.9 million No | 10 |
| 2020s | 62.72 million No | 61.1 million No | 64.8 million No | 5 |
Countries ranked near Africa
- 1 India 37.4 million No compare
- 2 Nigeria 11.4 million No compare
- 3 Pakistan 10.7 million No compare
- 4 Democratic Republic of the Congo 8.7 million No compare
- 4 Ethiopia 6.9 million No compare
- 5 Indonesia 5 million No compare
- 5 United Republic of Tanzania 3.3 million No compare
- 6 Bangladesh 4.2 million No compare
- 6 Viet Nam 1.4 million No compare
More agriculture & rural data for Africa
- Pulses, Total — Yield, annual growth rate 2.99 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Oil Equivalent — Area harvested, annual growth rate -1.64 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Oil Equivalent — Yield, annual growth rate 0.0886 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Oil Equivalent — Production, annual growth rate -1.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Poultry Birds — Stocks, annual growth rate 3.96 % change on previous year (2024)
- Pulses, Total — Area harvested, annual growth rate -0.6343 % change on previous year (2024)
- Roots and Tubers, Total — Area harvested, annual growth rate 2.37 % change on previous year (2024)
- Roots and Tubers, Total — Production, annual growth rate 1.94 % change on previous year (2024)
- Roots and Tubers, Total — Yield, annual growth rate -0.422 % change on previous year (2024)
- Oilcrops, Cake Equivalent — Production, annual growth rate -6.19 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in Africa?
- Number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in Africa was 64.8 million No in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) recorded in Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 64.8 million No in 2024.
- What is the lowest number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) recorded in Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 55.7 million No in 2000.
- How does Africa rank for number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled)?
- Africa ranks 3rd out of 36 groups with data for 2024.
- Is number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) rising or falling in Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled estimates) (million) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Suite of Food Security Indicators presents the core set of food security indicators. Following the recommendation of experts gathered in the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Round Table on hunger measurement, hosted at FAO headquarters in September 2011, an initial set of indicators aiming to capture various aspects of food insecurity is presented here. The choice of the indicators has been informed by expert judgement and the availability of data with sufficient coverage to enable comparisons across regions and over time. Many of these indicators are produced and published elsewhere by FAO and other international organizations. They are reported here in a single database with the aim of building a wide food security information system. More indicators will be added to this set as more data will become available. Indicators are classified along the four dimensions of food security -- availability, access, utilization and stability.