Number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) was 59.6 million No in 2024. ▲ Rising
Number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in million No.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in Sub-Saharan Africa is 59.6 million No, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 7.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 59.6 million No in 2024 and was at its lowest, 49.7 million No, in 2000.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 4th out of 36 groups with data for 2024, putting it 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 Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | million No | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 49.7 million No | — |
| 2001 | 50.6 million No | +1.8% |
| 2002 | 51.5 million No | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 52.3 million No | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 53.1 million No | +1.5% |
| 2005 | 53.9 million No | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 54.5 million No | +1.1% |
| 2007 | 55 million No | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 55.3 million No | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 55.4 million No | +0.2% |
| 2010 | 55.4 million No | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 55.4 million No | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 55.4 million No | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 55.5 million No | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 55.7 million No | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 55.8 million No | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 55.9 million No | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 55.8 million No | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 55.6 million No | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 55.5 million No | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 55.7 million No | +0.4% |
| 2021 | 56.2 million No | +0.9% |
| 2022 | 57.3 million No | +2.0% |
| 2023 | 58.4 million No | +1.9% |
| 2024 | 59.6 million No | +2.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 53.13 million No | 49.7 million No | 55.4 million No | 10 |
| 2010s | 55.6 million No | 55.4 million No | 55.9 million No | 10 |
| 2020s | 57.44 million No | 55.7 million No | 59.6 million No | 5 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan 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
- 7 Yemen 3.1 million No compare
More agriculture & rural data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5534 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1791 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 299.6 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.6% (2024)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 395.96 billion current US$ (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added 17.9% (2025)
- Rural population 731.42 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) in Sub-Saharan Africa was 59.6 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 59.6 million No in 2024.
- What is the lowest number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled) recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.7 million No in 2000.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for number of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modeled)?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 4th 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 Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan 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.