Hunger and malnutrition in Bhutan
18%of children under five stunted (2023)Medium
18% of young children are too short for their age, a sign of long-term undernutrition, and 5.1% are dangerously thin.
18%children under 5 stunted (2023)
5.1%children under 5 wasted (2023)
8.7%children under 5 underweight (2023)
7.6%children under 5 overweight (2010)
45%children 6-59 months anaemic (2019, WHO)
17 per 1,000children who die before age five (2024)
How Bhutan compares
Bhutan has the 53rd highest child stunting of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015. In South Asia it is 4th of 6.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of children are stunted in Bhutan?
18% of children under five in Bhutan were stunted in 2023, which WHO rates medium. 5.1% were wasted (2023). That ranks Bhutan 53 of 129 countries with an estimate since 2015, highest first.
Sources: FAO (undernourishment, food insecurity), UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Joint Malnutrition Estimates (stunting, wasting, underweight, overweight), WHO (anaemia) and UN IGME (child deaths), as published by the World Bank.