Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in Iran
Iran: Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted was 290,400 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in Iran, 2000–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Iran recorded 290,400 for malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in 2024. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is down 3.2% on the previous year and down 24.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Iran peaked at 777,000 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 290,400, in 2024.
Iran ranks 60th of 162 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 25 years of available data.
Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in Iran, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 777,000 | — |
| 2001 | 694,100 | -10.7% |
| 2002 | 623,900 | -10.1% |
| 2003 | 567,500 | -9.0% |
| 2004 | 526,300 | -7.3% |
| 2005 | 490,300 | -6.8% |
| 2006 | 459,300 | -6.3% |
| 2007 | 433,400 | -5.6% |
| 2008 | 415,000 | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 402,500 | -3.0% |
| 2010 | 391,800 | -2.7% |
| 2011 | 381,500 | -2.6% |
| 2012 | 376,900 | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 379,200 | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 385,200 | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 392,100 | +1.8% |
| 2016 | 395,600 | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 393,300 | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 384,600 | -2.2% |
| 2019 | 368,800 | -4.1% |
| 2020 | 348,400 | -5.5% |
| 2021 | 328,600 | -5.7% |
| 2022 | 313,300 | -4.7% |
| 2023 | 300,000 | -4.2% |
| 2024 | 290,400 | -3.2% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 290,400 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 46,050, 6.3× the median. (54 countries reporting)
- Iran's 290,400 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 88,400, 3.3× the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 538,930 | 402,500 | 777,000 | 10 |
| 2010s | 384,900 | 368,800 | 395,600 | 10 |
| 2020s | 316,140 | 290,400 | 348,400 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Iran
- 57 Uzbekistan 298,200 compare
- 58 Sierra Leone 295,600 compare
- 59 Saudi Arabia 295,100 compare
- 61 Peru 285,200 compare
- 62 North Korea 283,200 compare
- 63 Argentina 278,300 compare
More reference data data for Iran
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.47 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 12.01 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 26.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 1.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 26.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 11.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 3.84 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 46.54 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 109.46 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 7.3 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Iran?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Iran was 290,400 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 Iran?
- The highest recorded value was 777,000 in 2000.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are stunted recorded in Iran?
- The lowest recorded value was 290,400 in 2024.
- How does Iran rank for malnutrition: number of children who are stunted?
- Iran ranks 60th out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are stunted rising or falling in Iran?
- Over the last ten years it is down 24.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iran 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.