Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in Somalia
Somalia: Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted was 835,000 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in Somalia, 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 Somalia is 835,000, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
The figure is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 17.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Somalia peaked at 835,000 in 2024 and was at its lowest, 602,900, in 2000.
Somalia ranks 33rd of 162 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in Somalia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 602,900 | — |
| 2001 | 628,700 | +4.3% |
| 2002 | 653,000 | +3.9% |
| 2003 | 675,400 | +3.4% |
| 2004 | 696,700 | +3.2% |
| 2005 | 715,900 | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 730,100 | +2.0% |
| 2007 | 740,700 | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 746,500 | +0.8% |
| 2009 | 746,500 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 742,600 | -0.5% |
| 2011 | 711,700 | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 685,600 | -3.7% |
| 2013 | 694,200 | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 711,200 | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 730,800 | +2.8% |
| 2016 | 752,600 | +3.0% |
| 2017 | 763,700 | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 764,000 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 767,100 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 775,100 | +1.0% |
| 2021 | 789,400 | +1.8% |
| 2022 | 803,300 | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 816,600 | +1.7% |
| 2024 | 835,000 | +2.3% |
Somalia compared with similar countries
- Somalia's 835,000 is below the median for low income countries, which is 986,900, 85% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Somalia's 835,000 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 577,800, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 693,640 | 602,900 | 746,500 | 10 |
| 2010s | 732,350 | 685,600 | 767,100 | 10 |
| 2020s | 803,880 | 775,100 | 835,000 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Somalia
More reference data data for Somalia
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - Burning - Crop residues 0.4444 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.3652 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure applied 234.3 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 43.31 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) from N2O (AR5) - Manure Management 96.78 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Enteric Fermentation 28,272 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CO2eq) (AR5) - Crop Residues 71.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (CH4) - Enteric Fermentation 1,010 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.2685 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Somalia?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Somalia was 835,000 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 Somalia?
- The highest recorded value was 835,000 in 2024.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are stunted recorded in Somalia?
- The lowest recorded value was 602,900 in 2000.
- How does Somalia rank for malnutrition: number of children who are stunted?
- Somalia ranks 33rd out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are stunted rising or falling in Somalia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Somalia 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.