Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in Malaysia

Malaysia: Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted was 540,700 in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
540,700
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
45th
of 162 countries
All-time high
568,400
in 2019
All-time low
448,500
in 2011
Years of data
25
2000–2024

Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in Malaysia, 2000–2024

0200.0k400.0k600.0k2000201220242000: 511.7k2001: 498.2k2002: 489.4k2003: 484.0k2004: 480.7k2005: 480.0k2006: 478.4k2007: 474.8k2008: 468.4k2009: 460.9k2010: 451.9k2011: 448.5k2012: 452.8k2013: 465.1k2014: 483.9k2015: 506.7k2016: 530.6k2017: 550.4k2018: 563.8k2019: 568.4k2020: 562.2k2021: 550.2k2022: 541.9k2023: 538.4k2024: 540.7k

Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.

Analysis

In 2024, malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Malaysia stood at 540,700.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 11.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Malaysia peaked at 568,400 in 2019 and was at its lowest, 448,500, in 2011.

Malaysia ranks 45th of 162 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 482,650 460,900 511,700 10
2010s 502,210 448,500 568,400 10
2020s 546,680 538,400 562,200 5

Countries ranked near Malaysia

  1. 42 Syria 577,000 compare
  2. 43 Rwanda 564,300 compare
  3. 44 Zimbabwe 553,200 compare
  4. 46 Iraq 528,200 compare
  5. 47 South Sudan 462,600 compare
  6. 48 Morocco 430,600 compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More reference data data for Malaysia

All data for Malaysia →

Frequently asked questions

What is malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Malaysia?
Malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Malaysia was 540,700 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 Malaysia?
The highest recorded value was 568,400 in 2019.
What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are stunted recorded in Malaysia?
The lowest recorded value was 448,500 in 2011.
How does Malaysia rank for malnutrition: number of children who are stunted?
Malaysia ranks 45th out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
Is malnutrition: number of children who are stunted rising or falling in Malaysia?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Malaysia 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

Indicator
Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
162 places, 4,050 data points, 2000–2024
Last refreshed

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.