Malnutrition: Share of children who are stunted in United States of America
United States of America: Malnutrition: Share of children who are stunted was 3.8% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Malnutrition: Share of children who are stunted in United States of America, 1991–2022
Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for malnutrition: share of children who are stunted in United States of America is 3.8%, measured in 2022. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 72.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, malnutrition: share of children who are stunted in United States of America peaked at 3.8% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 2012.
That places United States of America 91st out of 97 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Malnutrition: Share of children who are stunted in United States of America, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | 3.1% | — |
| 2000 | 3.2% | +3.2% |
| 2002 | 3.1% | -3.1% |
| 2004 | 2.9% | -6.5% |
| 2006 | 3.1% | +6.9% |
| 2008 | 2.3% | -25.8% |
| 2010 | 2.8% | +21.7% |
| 2012 | 2.2% | -21.4% |
| 2014 | 2.4% | +9.1% |
| 2016 | 3.5% | +45.8% |
| 2018 | 3.4% | -2.9% |
| 2022 | 3.8% | +11.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 3.1% | 3.1% | 3.1% | 1 |
| 2000s | 2.9% | 2.3% | 3.2% | 5 |
| 2010s | 2.9% | 2.2% | 3.5% | 5 |
| 2020s | 3.8% | 3.8% | 3.8% | 1 |
Countries ranked near United States of America
More reference data data for United States of America
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 19.34 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 24.55 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 20.7 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 119.42 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 64.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 52.14 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 133.45 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 589.96 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 112.69 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is malnutrition: share of children who are stunted in United States of America?
- Malnutrition: share of children who are stunted in United States of America was 3.8% in 2022, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest malnutrition: share of children who are stunted recorded in United States of America?
- The highest recorded value was 3.8% in 2022.
- What is the lowest malnutrition: share of children who are stunted recorded in United States of America?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 2012.
- How does United States of America rank for malnutrition: share of children who are stunted?
- United States of America ranks 91st out of 97 countries with data for 2022.
- Is malnutrition: share of children who are stunted rising or falling in United States of America?
- Over the last ten years it is up 72.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States of America 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: Share of children who are stunted. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of children younger than five years old who are defined as stunted. Stunting is when a child is significantly shorter than the average for their age. It is a consequence of poor nutrition or repeated infection.