Childhood stunting rates in Malawi
Malawi: Childhood stunting rates was 40.7% in 2015. ▲ Rising
Childhood stunting rates in Malawi, 1935–2015
Source: Schneider et al. (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Malawi recorded 40.7% for childhood stunting rates in 2015.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 27.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, childhood stunting rates in Malawi peaked at 70.7% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 31.0%, in 1935.
Malawi ranks 2nd of 34 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Childhood stunting rates in Malawi, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1935 | 31.0% | — |
| 1985 | 70.7% | +127.9% |
| 1995 | 63.0% | -10.9% |
| 2005 | 56.0% | -11.0% |
| 2015 | 40.7% | -27.3% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 40.7% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 24.5%, 1.7× the median. (5 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1930s | 31.0% | 31.0% | 31.0% | 1 |
| 1980s | 70.7% | 70.7% | 70.7% | 1 |
| 1990s | 63.0% | 63.0% | 63.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 56.0% | 56.0% | 56.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 40.7% | 40.7% | 40.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 1 Ethiopia 45.4% compare
- 3 India 40.6% compare
- 4 Philippines 37.6% compare
- 5 Bangladesh 34.2% compare
More reference data data for Malawi
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.1596 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.09 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 3.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3426 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 3.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5353 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.6012 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 4.92 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 16.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.87 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is childhood stunting rates in Malawi?
- Childhood stunting rates in Malawi was 40.7% in 2015, according to Schneider et al. (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest childhood stunting rates recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 70.7% in 1985.
- What is the lowest childhood stunting rates recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.0% in 1935.
- How does Malawi rank for childhood stunting rates?
- Malawi ranks 2nd out of 34 countries with data for 2015.
- Is childhood stunting rates rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malawi data come from?
- The figures come from Schneider et al. (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Childhood stunting rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of children between 2 and 10 years old who are stunted, so shorter than would be expected for their age. Stunting is a sign of long-term malnutrition or poor health in early childhood.