South Africa vs Zimbabwe: Share of the population undernourished vs. share of children who are stunted
South Africa
24.4 percent
in 2024
Zimbabwe
23.7 percent
in 2024
South Africa rank
40th
Zimbabwe rank
43rd
Share of the population undernourished vs. share of children who are stunted over time
- South Africa
- Zimbabwe
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 24.4 percent against 23.7 percent in Zimbabwe, a difference of 0.7 percent.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 25 shared years of data; in 2000 it was Zimbabwe ahead.
South Africa ranks 40th and Zimbabwe ranks 43rd of 160 countries.
Zimbabwe has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Zimbabwe | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 25.74 percent | 33.82 percent | 8.08 percent | Zimbabwe |
| 2010s | 22.32 percent | 28.15 percent | 5.83 percent | Zimbabwe |
| 2020s | 23.44 percent | 23.5 percent | 0.06 percent | Zimbabwe |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of the population undernourished vs. share of children who are stunted, South Africa or Zimbabwe?
- South Africa, at 24.4 percent against 23.7 percent in Zimbabwe as of 2024.
- What is the difference in share of the population undernourished vs. share of children who are stunted between South Africa and Zimbabwe?
- 0.7 percent, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Zimbabwe?
- 25 years are reported by both, from 2000 to 2024.
- How do South Africa and Zimbabwe rank globally for share of the population undernourished vs. share of children who are stunted?
- South Africa ranks 40th and Zimbabwe ranks 43rd of 160 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of the population undernourished vs. share of children who are stunted. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Childhood stunting is the share of children younger than five years that are stunted, which means they are two standard deviations below the median height-for-age of the WHO's Child Growth Standards. Undernourishment is when a person's daily food intake does not provide enough energy to maintain a normal, active, and healthy life.