Stunting vs. GDP per capita in South Africa
South Africa: Stunting vs. GDP per capita was 21.3% in 2017. ▼ Falling
Stunting vs. GDP per capita in South Africa, 1994–2017
Source: World Health Organization – Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 21.3% for stunting vs. gdp per capita in 2017.
The figure is down 22.3% on the previous year and down 14.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, stunting vs. gdp per capita in South Africa peaked at 30.1% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 21.2%, in 2015.
That places South Africa 43rd out of 97 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.
Stunting vs. GDP per capita in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1994 | 28.7% | — |
| 1999 | 30.1% | +4.9% |
| 2008 | 25.0% | -16.9% |
| 2015 | 21.2% | -15.2% |
| 2016 | 27.4% | +29.2% |
| 2017 | 21.3% | -22.3% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 21.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 10.5%, 2.0× the median. (27 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 21.3% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 28.5%, 75% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 29.4% | 28.7% | 30.1% | 2 |
| 2000s | 25.0% | 25.0% | 25.0% | 1 |
| 2010s | 23.3% | 21.2% | 27.4% | 3 |
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 stunting vs. gdp per capita in South Africa?
- Stunting vs. gdp per capita in South Africa was 21.3% 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 South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 30.1% in 1999.
- What is the lowest stunting vs. gdp per capita recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.2% in 2015.
- How does South Africa rank for stunting vs. gdp per capita?
- South Africa ranks 43rd out of 97 countries with data for 2017.
- Is stunting vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 14.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 Stunting vs. GDP per capita. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 6 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.