Stunting vs. GDP per capita in China
China: Stunting vs. GDP per capita was 4.8% in 2017. ◆ Volatile
Stunting vs. GDP per capita in China, 1987–2017
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
China recorded 4.8% for stunting vs. gdp per capita in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 13 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 51.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, stunting vs. gdp per capita in China peaked at 38.3% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 4.8%, in 2017.
That places China 88th out of 97 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Stunting vs. GDP per capita in China, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1987 | 38.3% | — |
| 1990 | 32.3% | -15.7% |
| 1992 | 38.0% | +17.6% |
| 1995 | 31.2% | -17.9% |
| 1998 | 19.8% | -36.5% |
| 2000 | 17.8% | -10.1% |
| 2002 | 21.8% | +22.5% |
| 2005 | 11.7% | -46.3% |
| 2008 | 9.8% | -16.2% |
| 2009 | 9.0% | -8.2% |
| 2010 | 9.4% | +4.4% |
| 2013 | 8.1% | -13.8% |
| 2017 | 4.8% | -40.7% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 4.8% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10.5%, 46% of the median. (27 countries reporting)
- China's 4.8% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 21.2%, 23% of the median. (13 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 38.3% | 38.3% | 38.3% | 1 |
| 1990s | 30.3% | 19.8% | 38.0% | 4 |
| 2000s | 14.0% | 9.0% | 21.8% | 5 |
| 2010s | 7.4% | 4.8% | 9.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near China
- 85 Azerbaijan 6.6% compare
- 86 Uzbekistan 6.5% compare
- 87 Turkey 6.0% compare
- 88 Iran 4.8% compare
- 90 Jamaica 4.6% compare
- 91 United States 3.8% compare
More reference data data for China
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 49.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 75.5 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 18.8 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 303.29 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 165.62 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 206.2 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 350.74 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 1,480 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 102.37 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is stunting vs. gdp per capita in China?
- Stunting vs. gdp per capita in China was 4.8% in 2017, according to World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest stunting vs. gdp per capita recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 38.3% in 1987.
- What is the lowest stunting vs. gdp per capita recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.8% in 2017.
- How does China rank for stunting vs. gdp per capita?
- China ranks 88th out of 97 countries with data for 2017.
- Is stunting vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 51.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this China 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 Stunting vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 13 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Stunting measures the share of children younger than 5 years that are too short for their age. GDP per capita is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.