Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in Southern Asia

Southern Asia: Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) was 31.4 % in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
31.4 %
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
5th
of 37 groups
All-time high
48.2 %
in 2000
All-time low
31.4 %
in 2023
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in Southern Asia, 2000–2024

010203040502000201220242000: 48.2 %2001: 47.8 %2002: 47.4 %2003: 47 %2004: 46.6 %2005: 46.1 %2006: 45.6 %2007: 44.9 %2008: 44.1 %2009: 43.3 %2010: 42.3 %2011: 41.2 %2012: 40.2 %2013: 39.3 %2014: 38.3 %2015: 37.3 %2016: 36.3 %2017: 35.2 %2018: 34.2 %2019: 33.2 %2020: 32.4 %2021: 31.8 %2022: 31.5 %2023: 31.4 %2024: 31.4 %

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 Southern Asia stood at 31.4 %. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 18.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in Southern Asia peaked at 48.2 % in 2000 and was at its lowest, 31.4 %, in 2023.

That places Southern Asia 5th out of 37 groups with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.

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

Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in Southern Asia, year by year

Annual values for Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled estimates) (percent) — Value in Southern Asia, 2000 to 2024.
Year % Change
2000 48.2 %
2001 47.8 % -0.8%
2002 47.4 % -0.8%
2003 47 % -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 37.75 % 33.2 % 42.3 % 10
2020s 31.7 % 31.4 % 32.4 % 5

Countries ranked near Southern Asia

  1. 2 Democratic Republic of the Congo 44.1 % compare
  2. 2 Niger 48.3 % compare
  3. 3 Eritrea 48 % compare
  4. 3 Melanesia 43.6 % compare
  5. 4 Angola 47.7 % compare
  6. 5 Papua New Guinea 47.6 % compare
  7. 6 Lao People's Democratic Republic 29.9 % compare
  8. 6 United Republic of Tanzania 29.9 % compare
  9. 6 Yemen 47.4 % compare
  10. 7 Guatemala 44.6 % compare
  11. 8 Afghanistan 42 % compare
  12. 8 Syrian Arab Republic 23.5 % compare

See the full ranking of 203 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Southern Asia

All data for Southern Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in Southern Asia?
Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in Southern Asia was 31.4 % 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 Southern Asia?
The highest recorded value was 48.2 % in 2000.
What is the lowest percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) recorded in Southern Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 31.4 % in 2023.
How does Southern Asia rank for percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled)?
Southern Asia ranks 5th out of 37 groups with data for 2024.
Is percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) 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 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.

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Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in Southern Asia. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 18 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-children-under-5-years-of-age-who-are-stunted-modelled-estimates-percent/southern-asia/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled estimates) (percent) — Value
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
203 places, 5,075 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

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.