Stunting in children — all countries

Stunting in children — Iraq

Stunting in children in Iraq in 2018 — 12.6%. Ranked 20 in the world out of 48. Since 1991, the indicator has fallen by 15 pp.

2018 12.6% −9.5 pp vs 2011
World rank 20of 48
Period maximum 33.7%2003
Period minimum 12.6%2018

Trend over time

1991–2018 · % of children under 5

Stunting in children — Iraq, 1991–20181020304019911994199720002003200620092012201520181991: 27.6%2000: 28.1%2003: 33.7%2004: 20%2006: 27.5%2011: 22.1%2018: 12.6%
Change over the period: −15 pp Annual average: -0.56 pp
Stunting in children — Iraq, by year Iraq All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2018 12.6
2011 22.1
2006 27.5
2004 20 −13.7 pp
2003 33.7
2000 28.1
1991 27.6

Western Asia, 2018

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.