Stunting in children — all countries

Stunting in children — Malaysia

Stunting in children in Malaysia in 2022 — 21.2%. Ranked 17 in the world out of 32. Since 1999, the indicator has risen by 0.5 pp.

2022 21.2% −4.3 pp vs 2019
World rank 17of 32
Period maximum 25.5%2019
Period minimum 17.5%2006

Trend over time

1999–2022 · % of children under 5

Stunting in children — Malaysia, 1999–20221618202224261999200220052008201120142017202020221999: 20.7%2006: 17.5%2015: 17.8%2016: 20.8%2019: 25.5%2022: 21.2%
Change over the period: +0.5 pp Annual average: 0.02 pp
Stunting in children — Malaysia, by year Malaysia All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2022 21.2
2019 25.5
2016 20.8 +3 pp
2015 17.8
2006 17.5
1999 20.7

South-Eastern Asia, 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.