Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in Western Africa
Western Africa: Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) was 29.7 % in 2024. ▼ Falling
Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in Western Africa, 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 Western Africa stood at 29.7 %.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and down 9.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in Western Africa peaked at 39.2 % in 2000 and was at its lowest, 29.4 %, in 2021.
That places Western Africa 9th 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 Western Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 39.2 % | — |
| 2001 | 39.1 % | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 39 % | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 38.7 % | -0.8% |
| 2004 | 38.4 % | -0.8% |
| 2005 | 38 % | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 37.6 % | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 37.1 % | -1.3% |
| 2008 | 36.5 % | -1.6% |
| 2009 | 35.8 % | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 35.1 % | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 34.4 % | -2.0% |
| 2012 | 33.8 % | -1.7% |
| 2013 | 33.2 % | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 32.7 % | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 32.3 % | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 31.8 % | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 31.2 % | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 30.6 % | -1.9% |
| 2019 | 30.1 % | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 29.6 % | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 29.4 % | -0.7% |
| 2022 | 29.5 % | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 29.6 % | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 29.7 % | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 37.94 % | 35.8 % | 39.2 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.52 % | 30.1 % | 35.1 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 29.56 % | 29.4 % | 29.7 % | 5 |
Countries ranked near Western Africa
- 6 Lao People's Democratic Republic 29.9 % compare
- 6 United Republic of Tanzania 29.9 % compare
- 6 Yemen 47.4 % compare
- 7 Guatemala 44.6 % compare
- 8 Afghanistan 42 % compare
- 8 Syrian Arab Republic 23.5 % compare
- 9 Central African Republic 38.9 % compare
- 10 Madagascar 38.4 % compare
- 11 Mozambique 37 % compare
- 11 Viet Nam 19.2 % compare
- 12 Democratic People's Republic of Korea 16.6 % compare
- 12 Ethiopia 35.5 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Western Africa
- Other fruits, n.e.c. — Production, annual growth rate 1.91 % change on previous year (2024)
- Onions and shallots, dry (excluding dehydrated) — Yield, annual 4.87 % change on previous year (2024)
- Onions and shallots, dry (excluding dehydrated) — Production, annual 6.49 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other fruits, n.e.c. — Area harvested, annual growth rate 1.87 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other fruits, n.e.c. — Yield, annual growth rate 0.041 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. — Yield, annual growth rate 0.7808 % change on previous year (2024)
- Beef and Buffalo Meat, primary — Production, annual growth rate -0.7481 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. — Production, annual growth rate -1.46 % change on previous year (2024)
- Onions and shallots, dry (excluding dehydrated) — Area harvested 1.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Other vegetables, fresh n.e.c. — Area harvested, annual growth rate -2.22 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in Western Africa?
- Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) in Western Africa was 29.7 % 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 Western Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 39.2 % in 2000.
- What is the lowest percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) recorded in Western Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 29.4 % in 2021.
- How does Western Africa rank for percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled)?
- Western Africa ranks 9th 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 Western Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Western Africa 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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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.