Stunting in children — all countries

Stunting in children — Ghana

Stunting in children in Ghana in 2022 — 17.4%. Ranked 13 in the world out of 32. Since 1988, the indicator has fallen by 16.3 pp.

2022 17.4% −0.1 pp vs 2017
World rank 13of 32
Period maximum 35.5%2003
Period minimum 17.4%2022

Trend over time

1988–2022 · % of children under 5

Stunting in children — Ghana, 1988–202215202530354019881992199620002004200820122016202020221988: 33.7%1993: 32.8%1997: 34.7%1998: 30.6%2003: 35.5%2006: 27.9%2008: 28.4%2011: 22.8%2014: 18.8%2017: 17.5%2022: 17.4%
Change over the period: −16.3 pp Annual average: -0.48 pp
Stunting in children — Ghana, by year Ghana All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2022 17.4
2017 17.5
2014 18.8
2011 22.8
2008 28.4
2006 27.9
2003 35.5
1998 30.6 −4.1 pp
1997 34.7
1993 32.8
1988 33.7

Western Africa, 2022

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

About the indicator

The share of children under five whose height falls short of the WHO norm for their age by more than two standard deviations. Stunting is the trace of a prolonged shortage of nutrition in the first years of life, and it is irreversible: height cannot be made up later. That is why the indicator is considered the main measure of chronic undernutrition, unlike wasting, which speaks of an acute shortage of food right now.

Important: The data come from sample household surveys and are not annual: for the intervening years there are no values. The aggregate by country group is weighted by the number of children aged 0–14 — it cannot be weighted by population, the share of small children is too different.

Source: Global Health Observatory (WHO), license CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO.