Stunting in children — all countries

Stunting in children — Somalia

Stunting in children in Somalia in 2009 — 25.3%. Ranked 17 in the world out of 33. Since 1999, the indicator has fallen by 3.9 pp.

2009 25.3% −16.7 pp vs 2006
World rank 17of 33
Period maximum 42%2006
Period minimum 25.3%2009

Trend over time

1999–2009 · % of children under 5

Stunting in children — Somalia, 1999–20092530354045199920002001200220032004200520062007200820091999: 29.2%2006: 42%2009: 25.3%
Change over the period: −3.9 pp Annual average: -0.39 pp
Stunting in children — Somalia, by year Somalia All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2009 25.3
2006 42
1999 29.2

Eastern Africa, 2009

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.