Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in South Africa
South Africa: Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted was 1.44 million in 2024. ▬ Flat
Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in South Africa, 2000–2024
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 South Africa stood at 1.44 million. That is the highest value across all 25 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.3% on the previous year and up 14.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in South Africa peaked at 1.44 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.23 million, in 2019.
South Africa ranks 20th of 162 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 1.30 million | 1.27 million | 1.36 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.26 million | 1.23 million | 1.29 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.36 million | 1.25 million | 1.44 million | 5 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More reference data data for South Africa
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.5111 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 8.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.7468 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 13.63 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 1.71 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 1.49 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 41.1 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 63.65 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.07 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in South Africa?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in South Africa was 1.44 million 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 South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 1.44 million in 2024.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are stunted recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.23 million in 2019.
- How does South Africa rank for malnutrition: number of children who are stunted?
- South Africa ranks 20th out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are stunted rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 14.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this South Africa 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.