Stunting in children — all countries

Stunting in children — Laos

Stunting in children in Laos in 2023 — 32.8%. Ranked 23 in the world out of 25. Since 1993, the indicator has fallen by 20.8 pp.

2023 32.8% −0.3 pp vs 2017
World rank 23of 25
Period maximum 53.6%1993
Period minimum 32.8%2023

Trend over time

1993–2023 · % of children under 5

Stunting in children — Laos, 1993–202330405060199319961999200220052008201120142017202020231993: 53.6%1994: 52.9%2000: 47.5%2006: 47.7%2011: 44.2%2015: 35.5%2017: 33.1%2023: 32.8%
Change over the period: −20.8 pp Annual average: -0.69 pp
Stunting in children — Laos, by year Laos All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2023 32.8
2017 33.1
2015 35.5
2011 44.2
2006 47.7
2000 47.5
1994 52.9 −0.7 pp
1993 53.6

South-Eastern Asia, 2023

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.