Number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in India
India: Number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) was 37.4 million No in 2024. ▼ Falling
Number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in India, 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 India stood at 37.4 million No. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 25.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in India peaked at 66 million No in 2000 and was at its lowest, 37.4 million No, in 2024.
India ranks 1st of 96 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in India, year by year
| Year | million No | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 66 million No | — |
| 2001 | 65.8 million No | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 65.7 million No | -0.2% |
| 2003 | 65.4 million No | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 64.9 million No | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 64.2 million No | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 63 million No | -1.9% |
| 2007 | 61.5 million No | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 59.9 million No | -2.6% |
| 2009 | 58.3 million No | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 56.6 million No | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 54.9 million No | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 53.3 million No | -2.9% |
| 2013 | 51.7 million No | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 50 million No | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 48.1 million No | -3.8% |
| 2016 | 46.4 million No | -3.5% |
| 2017 | 44.6 million No | -3.9% |
| 2018 | 42.9 million No | -3.8% |
| 2019 | 41.4 million No | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 40.1 million No | -3.1% |
| 2021 | 39 million No | -2.7% |
| 2022 | 38.2 million No | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 37.7 million No | -1.3% |
| 2024 | 37.4 million No | -0.8% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 37.4 million No is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.4 million No, 93.5× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 63.47 million No | 58.3 million No | 66 million No | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.99 million No | 41.4 million No | 56.6 million No | 10 |
| 2020s | 38.48 million No | 37.4 million No | 40.1 million No | 5 |
Countries ranked near India
More agriculture & rural data for India
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual -2.83 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1623 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 438.73 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 0.4067 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.6431 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 16.2% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 16.2% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.9% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.5% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in India?
- Number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in India was 37.4 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 66 million No in 2000.
- What is the lowest number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.4 million No in 2024.
- How does India rank for number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled)?
- India ranks 1st out of 96 countries with data for 2024.
- Is number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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.