Stunting in children — all countries

Stunting in children — Nigeria

Stunting in children in Nigeria in 2021 — 33.8%. Ranked 27 in the world out of 32. Since 1990, the indicator has fallen by 14.9 pp.

2021 33.8% +2.3 pp vs 2020
World rank 27of 32
Period maximum 48.7%1990
Period minimum 31.5%2020

Trend over time

1990–2021 · % of children under 5

Stunting in children — Nigeria, 1990–202130354045501990199419982002200620102014201820211990: 48.7%1993: 43.8%2003: 42.5%2011: 35.8%2014: 33.6%2015: 33%2016: 43.6%2018: 36.8%2020: 31.5%2021: 33.8%
Change over the period: −14.9 pp Annual average: -0.48 pp
Stunting in children — Nigeria, by year Nigeria All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2021 33.8 +2.3 pp
2020 31.5
2018 36.8
2016 43.6 +10.6 pp
2015 33 −0.6 pp
2014 33.6
2011 35.8
2003 42.5
1993 43.8
1990 48.7

Western Africa, 2021

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.