Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe: Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted was 553,200 in 2024. ▼ Falling
Malnutrition: Number of children who are stunted in Zimbabwe, 2000–2024
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
Analysis
Zimbabwe recorded 553,200 for malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in 2024.
The figure is up 2.1% on the previous year and down 18.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Zimbabwe peaked at 712,800 in 2011 and was at its lowest, 526,200, in 2021.
That places Zimbabwe 44th out of 162 countries with data for 2024, putting it 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 Zimbabwe, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 593,000 | — |
| 2001 | 619,800 | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 645,800 | +4.2% |
| 2003 | 668,200 | +3.5% |
| 2004 | 684,000 | +2.4% |
| 2005 | 694,600 | +1.5% |
| 2006 | 700,200 | +0.8% |
| 2007 | 700,700 | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 702,500 | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 705,700 | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 710,100 | +0.6% |
| 2011 | 712,800 | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 709,300 | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 698,300 | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 677,600 | -3.0% |
| 2015 | 650,400 | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 619,000 | -4.8% |
| 2017 | 587,400 | -5.1% |
| 2018 | 559,300 | -4.8% |
| 2019 | 539,800 | -3.5% |
| 2020 | 527,500 | -2.3% |
| 2021 | 526,200 | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 534,400 | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 541,800 | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 553,200 | +2.1% |
Zimbabwe compared with similar countries
- Zimbabwe's 553,200 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 281,700, 2.0× the median. (46 countries reporting)
- Zimbabwe's 553,200 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 577,800, 96% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 671,450 | 593,000 | 705,700 | 10 |
| 2010s | 646,400 | 539,800 | 712,800 | 10 |
| 2020s | 536,620 | 526,200 | 553,200 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Zimbabwe
More reference data data for Zimbabwe
- Exchange rate, new LCU per USD extended backward, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Exchange rate, old LCU per USD extended forward, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Official exchange rate, LCU per USD, period average 58,959 (2026)
- Global number of reported disasters by size, gaps filled 0 events (2024)
- Annual precipitation, annual growth rate 122.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Free country, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, gaps filled 5 (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Civil liberties rating, per capita 0 units per person (2025)
- Consumer price index 11,077 2010 = 100 (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Zimbabwe?
- Malnutrition: number of children who are stunted in Zimbabwe was 553,200 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 Zimbabwe?
- The highest recorded value was 712,800 in 2011.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: number of children who are stunted recorded in Zimbabwe?
- The lowest recorded value was 526,200 in 2021.
- How does Zimbabwe rank for malnutrition: number of children who are stunted?
- Zimbabwe ranks 44th out of 162 countries with data for 2024.
- Is malnutrition: number of children who are stunted rising or falling in Zimbabwe?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zimbabwe 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
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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.