Childhood stunting rates in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Childhood stunting rates was 17.3% in 2015. ▼ Falling

Latest (2015)
17.3%
World rank
13th
of 34 countries
All-time high
55.5%
in 1925
All-time low
17.3%
in 2015
Years of data
5
1925–2015

Childhood stunting rates in Sri Lanka, 1925–2015

20304050601925197020151925: 55.5 %1985: 34.5 %1995: 24.6 %2005: 18.2 %2015: 17.3 %

Source: Schneider et al. (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Sri Lanka recorded 17.3% for childhood stunting rates in 2015. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

The figure is down 5.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, childhood stunting rates in Sri Lanka peaked at 55.5% in 1925 and was at its lowest, 17.3%, in 2015.

Sri Lanka ranks 13th of 34 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1920s 55.5% 55.5% 55.5% 1
1980s 34.5% 34.5% 34.5% 1
1990s 24.6% 24.6% 24.6% 1
2000s 18.2% 18.2% 18.2% 1
2010s 17.3% 17.3% 17.3% 1

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 10 Egypt 22.5% compare
  2. 11 Ghana 21.6% compare
  3. 12 South Africa 20.7% compare
  4. 14 Venezuela 15.9% compare
  5. 15 Colombia 13.3% compare
  6. 16 Kazakhstan 8.6% compare

See the full ranking of 34 places →

More reference data data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is childhood stunting rates in Sri Lanka?
Childhood stunting rates in Sri Lanka was 17.3% 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 Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 55.5% in 1925.
What is the lowest childhood stunting rates recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 17.3% in 2015.
How does Sri Lanka rank for childhood stunting rates?
Sri Lanka ranks 13th out of 34 countries with data for 2015.
Is childhood stunting rates rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sri Lanka 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

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About this data

Indicator
Childhood stunting rates
Unit
%
Source
Schneider et al. (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
34 places, 204 data points, 1895–2015
Last refreshed

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.