Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in China
China: Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) was 4.5 % in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in China, 2000–2024
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2024, percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in China stood at 4.5 %. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 31.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in China peaked at 20 % in 2000 and was at its lowest, 4.5 %, in 2024.
China ranks 121st of 147 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 20 % | — |
| 2001 | 18.6 % | -7.0% |
| 2002 | 17.3 % | -7.0% |
| 2003 | 15.9 % | -8.1% |
| 2004 | 14.6 % | -8.2% |
| 2005 | 13.4 % | -8.2% |
| 2006 | 12.3 % | -8.2% |
| 2007 | 11.3 % | -8.1% |
| 2008 | 10.4 % | -8.0% |
| 2009 | 9.6 % | -7.7% |
| 2010 | 8.8 % | -8.3% |
| 2011 | 8 % | -9.1% |
| 2012 | 7.5 % | -6.2% |
| 2013 | 7 % | -6.7% |
| 2014 | 6.6 % | -5.7% |
| 2015 | 6.3 % | -4.5% |
| 2016 | 6.1 % | -3.2% |
| 2017 | 5.8 % | -4.9% |
| 2018 | 5.5 % | -5.2% |
| 2019 | 5.2 % | -5.5% |
| 2020 | 5 % | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 4.8 % | -4.0% |
| 2022 | 4.7 % | -2.1% |
| 2023 | 4.6 % | -2.1% |
| 2024 | 4.5 % | -2.2% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 4.5 % is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 8.4 %, 54% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
- China's 4.5 % is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 14.7 %, 31% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 14.34 % | 9.6 % | 20 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.68 % | 5.2 % | 8.8 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.72 % | 4.5 % | 5 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near China
More agriculture & rural data for China
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.0666 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 923.03 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate -1.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.3366 units per person (2025)
- Share of GDP from agriculture 6.7% (2025)
- Agriculture as a share of GDP vs. GDP per capita 6.7% (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 0.3% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 2.7% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in China?
- Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in China was 4.5 % in 2024, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 20 % in 2000.
- What is the lowest percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.5 % in 2024.
- How does China rank for percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled)?
- China ranks 121st out of 147 countries with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled estimates) (percent) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO).
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.