Malnutrition: Prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female in Madagascar

Madagascar: Malnutrition: Prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female was 43.6% in 2021. ▼ Falling

Latest (2021)
43.6%
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
7th
of 83 countries
All-time high
63.7%
in 1992
All-time low
43.6%
in 2021
Years of data
8
1992–2021

Malnutrition: Prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female in Madagascar, 1992–2021

02040601992200620211992: 63.7 % of children under 51997: 59.1 % of children under 52004: 54.3 % of children under 52009: 51.5 % of children under 52011: 50.7 % of children under 52012: 51.5 % of children under 52018: 44.6 % of children under 52021: 43.6 % of children under 5

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

In 2021, malnutrition: prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female in Madagascar stood at 43.6%. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

The figure is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 14.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, malnutrition: prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female in Madagascar peaked at 63.7% in 1992 and was at its lowest, 43.6%, in 2021.

Madagascar ranks 7th of 83 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Malnutrition: Prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female in Madagascar, year by year

Annual values for Malnutrition: Prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female in Madagascar, 1992 to 2021.
Year % of children under 5 Change
1992 63.7%
1997 59.1% -7.2%
2004 54.3% -8.1%
2009 51.5% -5.2%
2011 50.7% -1.6%
2012 51.5% +1.6%
2018 44.6% -13.4%
2021 43.6% -2.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 61.4% 59.1% 63.7% 2
2000s 52.9% 51.5% 54.3% 2
2010s 48.9% 44.6% 51.5% 3
2020s 43.6% 43.6% 43.6% 1

Countries ranked near Madagascar

  1. 4 East Timor 48.6% compare
  2. 5 Democratic Republic of Congo 47.2% compare
  3. 6 Guatemala 47.1% compare
  4. 8 Mozambique 40.9% compare
  5. 9 Central African Republic 40.8% compare
  6. 10 Ethiopia 39.8% compare

See the full ranking of 83 places →

More gender data for Madagascar

All data for Madagascar →

Frequently asked questions

What is malnutrition: prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female in Madagascar?
Malnutrition: prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female in Madagascar was 43.6% in 2021, 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 Madagascar?
The highest recorded value was 63.7% in 1992.
What is the lowest malnutrition: prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female recorded in Madagascar?
The lowest recorded value was 43.6% in 2021.
How does Madagascar rank for malnutrition: prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female?
Madagascar ranks 7th out of 83 countries with data for 2021.
Is malnutrition: prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female rising or falling in Madagascar?
Over the last ten years it is down 14.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Madagascar 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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Malnutrition: Prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female in Madagascar. Statizoid, drawing on Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) - UNICEF, WHO, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://gender.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-stunting-male-vs-female/madagascar/

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About this data

Indicator
Malnutrition: Prevalence of childhood stunting, male vs. female
Unit
% of children under 5
Source
Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME) - UNICEF, WHO, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
83 places, 730 data points, 1986–2024
Last refreshed

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.