Malnutrition: Prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female in Bangladesh
Bangladesh: Malnutrition: Prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female was 23.8% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Malnutrition: Prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female in Bangladesh, 1997–2022
Source: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) - UNICEF, WHO, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 5.
Analysis
Bangladesh recorded 23.8% for malnutrition: prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 13 years on record.
That represents a change of down 15.0% on the previous year and down 35.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female in Bangladesh peaked at 60.1% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 23.8%, in 2022.
Bangladesh ranks 40th of 83 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 13 years of available data.
Malnutrition: Prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female in Bangladesh, year by year
| Year | % of children under 5 | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1997 | 60.1% | — |
| 2000 | 51.4% | -14.5% |
| 2004 | 51.2% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 47.1% | -8.0% |
| 2007 | 43.7% | -7.2% |
| 2011 | 40.6% | -7.1% |
| 2012 | 37.0% | -8.9% |
| 2013 | 42.4% | +14.6% |
| 2014 | 36.8% | -13.2% |
| 2015 | 35.0% | -4.9% |
| 2018 | 30.8% | -12.0% |
| 2019 | 28.0% | -9.1% |
| 2022 | 23.8% | -15.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 60.1% | 60.1% | 60.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 48.4% | 43.7% | 51.4% | 4 |
| 2010s | 35.8% | 28.0% | 42.4% | 7 |
| 2020s | 23.8% | 23.8% | 23.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Bangladesh
More gender data for Bangladesh
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) 48,868 (2030)
- Child population (UN estimates and projections) (0-14), annual growth 0.1434 % change on previous year (2030)
- Population 137,205 (2030)
- Working-age population (UN estimates and projections) 137,205 (2030)
- Population (UN estimates and projections), annual growth rate 1.43 % change on previous year (2030)
- Age population, age 00, female, interpolated 1.66 million (2025)
- Age population, age 00, male, interpolated 1.74 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, female, interpolated 1.66 million (2025)
- Age population, age 01, male, interpolated 1.74 million (2025)
- Age population, age 02, female, interpolated 1.66 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female in Bangladesh?
- Malnutrition: prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female in Bangladesh was 23.8% in 2022, according to Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) - UNICEF, WHO, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest malnutrition: prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female recorded in Bangladesh?
- The highest recorded value was 60.1% in 1997.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female recorded in Bangladesh?
- The lowest recorded value was 23.8% in 2022.
- How does Bangladesh rank for malnutrition: prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female?
- Bangladesh ranks 40th out of 83 countries with data for 2022.
- Is malnutrition: prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female rising or falling in Bangladesh?
- Over the last ten years it is down 35.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Bangladesh data come from?
- The figures come from Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) - UNICEF, WHO, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Malnutrition: Prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of children younger than 5 years, male versus female, that fall below two standard deviations from the median height-for-age of the WHO Child Growth Standards.