Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in Panama

Panama: Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted was 49,800 in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
49,800
Change on year
down 0.6%
World rank
96th
of 162 countries
All-time high
78,200
in 2009
All-time low
49,800
in 2024
Years of data
25
2000–2024

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

020.0k40.0k60.0k80.0k2000201220242000: 62.3k2001: 63.4k2002: 65.2k2003: 67.6k2004: 70.5k2005: 73.3k2006: 75.7k2007: 77.3k2008: 78.1k2009: 78.2k2010: 77.9k2011: 77.1k2012: 75.9k2013: 74.3k2014: 72.6k2015: 70.6k2016: 68.5k2017: 65.4k2018: 62.0k2019: 58.4k2020: 55.2k2021: 52.5k2022: 51.1k2023: 50.1k2024: 49.8k

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 Panama stood at 49,800. That is the lowest value across all 25 years on record.

The figure is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 31.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Panama peaked at 78,200 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 49,800, in 2024.

Panama ranks 96th 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 Panama, year by year

Annual values for Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in Panama, 2000 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2000 62,300
2001 63,400 +1.8%
2002 65,200 +2.8%
2003 67,600 +3.7%
2004 70,500 +4.3%
2005 73,300 +4.0%
2006 75,700 +3.3%
2007 77,300 +2.1%
2008 78,100 +1.0%
2009 78,200 +0.1%
2010 77,900 -0.4%
2011 77,100 -1.0%
2012 75,900 -1.6%
2013 74,300 -2.1%
2014 72,600 -2.3%
2015 70,600 -2.8%
2016 68,500 -3.0%
2017 65,400 -4.5%
2018 62,000 -5.2%
2019 58,400 -5.8%
2020 55,200 -5.5%
2021 52,500 -4.9%
2022 51,100 -2.7%
2023 50,100 -2.0%
2024 49,800 -0.6%

Panama compared with similar countries

  • Panama's 49,800 is above the median for high income countries, which is 11,800, 4.2× the median. (37 countries reporting)
  • Panama's 49,800 is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 46,400, 1.1× the median. (27 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 71,160 62,300 78,200 10
2010s 70,270 58,400 77,900 10
2020s 51,740 49,800 55,200 5

Countries ranked near Panama

  1. 93 Oman 55,100 compare
  2. 94 Gambia 54,300 compare
  3. 95 Turkmenistan 51,200 compare
  4. 97 Australia 47,600 compare
  5. 98 El Salvador 46,400 compare
  6. 99 Gabon 45,700 compare
  7. 99 Lebanon 45,700 compare

See the full ranking of 162 places →

More reference data data for Panama

All data for Panama →

Frequently asked questions

What is malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Panama?
Malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Panama was 49,800 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 Panama?
The highest recorded value was 78,200 in 2009.
What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are stunted recorded in Panama?
The lowest recorded value was 49,800 in 2024.
How does Panama rank for malnutrition: number of children who are stunted?
Panama ranks 96th out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
Is malnutrition: number of children who are stunted rising or falling in Panama?
Over the last ten years it is down 31.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Panama 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.

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Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in Panama. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/number-children-stunted-who/panama/

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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.