Stunting in children — all countries

Stunting in children — Malawi

Stunting in children in Malawi in 2020 — 35.5%. Ranked 21 in the world out of 26. Since 1992, the indicator has fallen by 19.9 pp.

2020 35.5% +1.5 pp vs 2019
World rank 21of 26
Period maximum 62.3%1998
Period minimum 34%2019

Trend over time

1992–2020 · % of children under 5

Stunting in children — Malawi, 1992–2020304050607019921995199820012004200720102013201620191992: 55.4%1995: 53.8%1998: 62.3%2000: 54.7%2002: 58.3%2004: 52.5%2006: 53.1%2009: 48.8%2010: 47.3%2014: 42.4%2015: 37.4%2016: 38.3%2017: 39.3%2018: 39%2019: 34%2020: 35.5%
Change over the period: −19.9 pp Annual average: -0.71 pp
Stunting in children — Malawi, by year Malawi All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2020 35.5 +1.5 pp
2019 34 −5 pp
2018 39 −0.3 pp
2017 39.3 +1 pp
2016 38.3 +0.9 pp
2015 37.4 −5 pp
2014 42.4
2010 47.3 −1.5 pp
2009 48.8
2006 53.1
2004 52.5
2002 58.3
2000 54.7
1998 62.3
1995 53.8
1992 55.4

Eastern Africa, 2020

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.