Stunting in children — all countries

Stunting in children — United Kingdom

Stunting in children in the United Kingdom in 2019 — 2%. Ranked 3 in the world out of 46. Since 2007, the indicator has fallen by 0.3 pp.

2019 2% +0 pp vs 2018
World rank 3of 46
Period maximum 2.3%2007
Period minimum 0.9%2011

Trend over time

2007–2019 · % of children under 5

Stunting in children — United Kingdom, 2007–20190.511.522.520072009201120132015201720192007: 2.3%2008: 2.1%2009: 2%2010: 2.1%2011: 0.9%2012: 2.1%2013: 2.1%2014: 2%2015: 2%2016: 2%2017: 1.9%2018: 2%2019: 2%
Change over the period: −0.3 pp Annual average: -0.03 pp
Stunting in children — United Kingdom, by year United Kingdom All countries CSV XLSX
Year % Change, pp
2019 2 +0 pp
2018 2 +0.1 pp
2017 1.9 −0.1 pp
2016 2 +0 pp
2015 2 +0 pp
2014 2 −0.1 pp
2013 2.1 +0 pp
2012 2.1 +1.2 pp
2011 0.9 −1.2 pp
2010 2.1 +0.1 pp
2009 2 −0.1 pp
2008 2.1 −0.2 pp
2007 2.3

Northern Europe, 2019

The same indicator for neighboring countries — with links to their pages

FI Finland 1.3 GB United Kingdom 2

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.