Stunting vs. GDP per capita in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Stunting vs. GDP per capita was 10.5% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
10.5%
Change on year
up 1.9%
World rank
73rd
of 97 countries
All-time high
31.2%
in 1987
All-time low
7.4%
in 2021
Years of data
14
1987–2024

Stunting vs. GDP per capita in Sri Lanka, 1987–2024

510152025301987200520241987: 31.2 %1993: 28.7 %1995: 26.1 %2000: 18.3 %2007: 18.1 %2009: 19.2 %2012: 14.6 %2016: 17.3 %2019: 8.4 %2020: 8.2 %2021: 7.4 %2022: 9.2 %2023: 10.3 %2024: 10.5 %

Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for stunting vs. gdp per capita in Sri Lanka is 10.5%, measured in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.9% on the previous year and down 28.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, stunting vs. gdp per capita in Sri Lanka peaked at 31.2% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 7.4%, in 2021.

That places Sri Lanka 73rd out of 97 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 14 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 31.2% 31.2% 31.2% 1
1990s 27.4% 26.1% 28.7% 2
2000s 18.5% 18.1% 19.2% 3
2010s 13.4% 8.4% 17.3% 3
2020s 9.1% 7.4% 10.5% 5

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 70 Peru 11.5% compare
  2. 71 Oman 11.4% compare
  3. 72 Saudi Arabia 10.8% compare
  4. 74 El Salvador 10.0% compare
  5. 75 Algeria 9.8% compare
  6. 76 Guyana 9.5% compare

See the full ranking of 97 places →

More reference data data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is stunting vs. gdp per capita in Sri Lanka?
Stunting vs. gdp per capita in Sri Lanka was 10.5% in 2024, 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 Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 31.2% in 1987.
What is the lowest stunting vs. gdp per capita recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 7.4% in 2021.
How does Sri Lanka rank for stunting vs. gdp per capita?
Sri Lanka ranks 73rd out of 97 countries with data for 2024.
Is stunting vs. gdp per capita rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 28.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sri Lanka 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 — 14 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator
Stunting vs. GDP per capita
Unit
%
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
97 places, 955 data points, 1985–2024
Last refreshed

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.