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%.
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
- Spring temperature anomalies -0.0372 °C (2026)
- Summer temperature anomalies 0.606 °C (2026)
- Temperature anomalies by month 0.3659 °C (2026)
- Universal right to vote in practice 2 (2025)
- Autumn temperature anomalies 0.9529 °C (2025)
- Winter temperature anomalies -0.5269 °C (2025)
- Consumer price index 1,313 2010 = 100 (2025)
- Universal right to vote 2 (2025)
- Competitive elections 1 (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote 1 (2025)
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.