Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in Ghana
Ghana: Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted was 661,900 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in Ghana, 2000–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Ghana is 661,900, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 0.2% on the previous year and down 20.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Ghana peaked at 1.02 million in 2003 and was at its lowest, 660,600, in 2023.
That places Ghana 38th out of 162 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in Ghana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 994,900 | — |
| 2001 | 1.01 million | +1.1% |
| 2002 | 1.02 million | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 1.02 million | +0.5% |
| 2004 | 1.02 million | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 1.02 million | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 1.01 million | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 990,700 | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 966,400 | -2.5% |
| 2009 | 941,100 | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 915,900 | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 889,400 | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 867,200 | -2.5% |
| 2013 | 849,500 | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 834,400 | -1.8% |
| 2015 | 819,300 | -1.8% |
| 2016 | 803,300 | -2.0% |
| 2017 | 778,400 | -3.1% |
| 2018 | 748,700 | -3.8% |
| 2019 | 718,200 | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 692,000 | -3.6% |
| 2021 | 670,100 | -3.2% |
| 2022 | 660,900 | -1.4% |
| 2023 | 660,600 | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 661,900 | +0.2% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 661,900 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 281,700, 2.3× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 661,900 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 577,800, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 998,470 | 941,100 | 1.02 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 822,430 | 718,200 | 915,900 | 10 |
| 2020s | 669,100 | 660,600 | 692,000 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
- 35 United States 780,800 compare
- 36 Benin 731,100 compare
- 37 Nepal 719,300 compare
- 39 Burkina Faso 656,600 compare
- 40 Guinea 591,300 compare
- 41 Papua New Guinea 586,900 compare
More reference data data for Ghana
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2805 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 1.89 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 2.69 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.1989 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 2.69 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.9405 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.9478 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.22 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 12.64 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.08 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Ghana?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Ghana was 661,900 in 2024, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest malnutrition: number of children who are stunted recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 1.02 million in 2003.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are stunted recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 660,600 in 2023.
- How does Ghana rank for malnutrition: number of children who are stunted?
- Ghana ranks 38th out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are stunted rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 20.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The number of children younger than five who are stunted – significantly shorter than the average for their age, as a consequence of poor nutrition or repeated infection.