Share of children who are stunted vs. improved sanitation facilities in Iraq
Iraq: Share of children who are stunted vs. improved sanitation facilities was 12.6% in 2018. ▼ Falling
Share of children who are stunted vs. improved sanitation facilities in Iraq, 1991–2018
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2018, share of children who are stunted vs. improved sanitation facilities in Iraq stood at 12.6%. That is the lowest value across all 7 years on record.
The figure is down 54.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children who are stunted vs. improved sanitation facilities in Iraq peaked at 33.7% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 12.6%, in 2018.
That places Iraq 67th out of 97 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of children who are stunted vs. improved sanitation facilities in Iraq, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 27.6% | — |
| 2000 | 28.1% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 33.7% | +19.9% |
| 2004 | 20.0% | -40.7% |
| 2006 | 27.5% | +37.5% |
| 2011 | 22.1% | -19.6% |
| 2018 | 12.6% | -43.0% |
Iraq compared with similar countries
- Iraq's 12.6% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10.5%, 1.2× the median. (27 countries reporting)
- Iraq's 12.6% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 12.0%, 1.1× the median. (16 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 27.6% | 27.6% | 27.6% | 1 |
| 2000s | 27.3% | 20.0% | 33.7% | 4 |
| 2010s | 17.4% | 12.6% | 22.1% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Iraq
More reference data data for Iraq
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.2116 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 3.19 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 7.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.3911 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 7.23 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 0.7096 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 0.235 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 13.21 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 30.36 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 2.13 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children who are stunted vs. improved sanitation facilities in Iraq?
- Share of children who are stunted vs. improved sanitation facilities in Iraq was 12.6% in 2018, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children who are stunted vs. improved sanitation facilities recorded in Iraq?
- The highest recorded value was 33.7% in 2003.
- What is the lowest share of children who are stunted vs. improved sanitation facilities recorded in Iraq?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.6% in 2018.
- How does Iraq rank for share of children who are stunted vs. improved sanitation facilities?
- Iraq ranks 67th out of 97 countries with data for 2018.
- Is share of children who are stunted vs. improved sanitation facilities rising or falling in Iraq?
- Over the last ten years it is down 54.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Iraq 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 Share of children who are stunted vs. improved sanitation facilities. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 7 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
A child is defined as stunted if their height-for-age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. Improved sanitation facilities are those designed to separate excreta from human contact hygienically.