Stunting in children — all countries

Stunting in children — Sierra Leone

Stunting in children in Sierra Leone in 2021 — 26.3%. Ranked 23 in the world out of 32. Since 1989, the indicator has fallen by 15.1 pp.

2021 26.3% −3.2 pp vs 2019
World rank 23of 32
Period maximum 45%2005
Period minimum 26.3%2021

Trend over time

1989–2021 · % of children under 5

Stunting in children — Sierra Leone, 1989–202125303540451989199319972001200520092013201720211989: 41.4%1990: 40.9%2000: 35.5%2005: 45%2010: 32.7%2014: 29.1%2017: 31%2019: 29.5%2021: 26.3%
Change over the period: −15.1 pp Annual average: -0.47 pp
Stunting in children — Sierra Leone, by year Sierra Leone All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2021 26.3
2019 29.5
2017 31
2014 29.1
2010 32.7
2005 45
2000 35.5
1990 40.9 −0.5 pp
1989 41.4

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.