{
  "id": "hea-stunting-059",
  "question": "What share of India's young children are stunted?",
  "topic": "Health",
  "unit": "%",
  "decimals": 1,
  "measures": "Share of children under five who are stunted: their height is more than two standard deviations below the WHO Child Growth Standards median for their age, a sign of chronic undernutrition. From the National Family Health Survey (NFHS), run for the Health Ministry by IIPS, Mumbai. NFHS-6 figures come from its fact sheets, which the survey calls provisional; NFHS-6 covers every state and UT except Manipur.",
  "verified": true,
  "source": {
    "name": "IIPS and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6) 2023-24 Fact Sheets; NFHS-5 (2019-21) and NFHS-4 (2015-16) India reports",
    "url": "https://www.nfhsiips.in/nfhsuser/assets/National%20Family%20Health%20Survey%20(NFHS-6)%202023-2024%20Fact%20Sheets.pdf",
    "table": "NFHS-6 India fact sheet, indicator 69 (children under 5 years who are stunted, height-for-age), Total; NFHS-5 India report Table 10.3 (NFHS-5 and NFHS-4 columns, below -2 SD, Total)",
    "licence": "GODL-India"
  },
  "released": "2026-05-29",
  "retrieved": "2026-10-18",
  "nextDueBy": null,
  "processing": "Copied as published.",
  "exam": {
    "publisher": "International Institute for Population Sciences (IIPS), Mumbai, for the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare",
    "survey": "National Family Health Survey (NFHS-6), 2023-24",
    "frequency": "Survey rounds every three to five years (NFHS-4 2015-16, NFHS-5 2019-21, NFHS-6 2023-24)",
    "measures": "Children under five whose height-for-age is more than two standard deviations below the WHO Child Growth Standards median",
    "notes": [
      "NFHS-6 figures come from its fact sheets, which the survey calls provisional; the national report follows.",
      "NFHS-6 covers every state and UT except Manipur.",
      "Stunting (low height for age) marks chronic undernutrition; wasting (low weight for height) marks acute undernutrition; underweight is low weight for age."
    ]
  },
  "targets": [],
  "values": [
    {
      "period": "NFHS-4 (2015-16)",
      "start": "2015",
      "end": "2016",
      "value": 38.4
    },
    {
      "period": "NFHS-5 (2019-21)",
      "start": "2019",
      "end": "2021",
      "value": 35.5
    },
    {
      "period": "NFHS-6 (2023-24)",
      "start": "2023",
      "end": "2024",
      "value": 29.3
    }
  ],
  "page": "https://india.tf/c/hea-stunting-059/",
  "csv": "https://india.tf/c/hea-stunting-059/data.csv",
  "versions": "https://india.tf/c/hea-stunting-059/versions.csv"
}