Hunger · India

Child malnutrition in Andaman and Nicobar

23%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)High

Andaman and Nicobar ranks 34th of 36 states and union territories for child stunting, highest first; India's figure is 36%. In towns it is 18%, in villages 26%.

16%children under 5 wasted

24%children under 5 underweight

40%children 6-59 months anaemic

20%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Andaman and Nicobar in NFHS-5, town and village

Measure	Andaman and Nicobar	Urban	Rural	NFHS-4	India
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)	22.5%	18.2%	26.4%	23.3%	35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)	16%	12.8%	19%	18.9%	19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted	4.8%	5.1%	4.6%	7.5%	7.7%
Children under 5 underweight	23.7%	15.1%	31.1%	21.6%	32.1%
Children under 5 overweight	5.4%	5.7%	5.2%	3%	3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic	40%	47.8%	33.3%	49%	67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic	57.5%	57.2%	57.6%	65.7%	57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)	9.4%	11.3%	8.2%	13.1%	18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet	19.5%	27.7%	10.6%	14.2%	11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed	73.3%	–	–	66.8%	63.7%

Child stunting by district in Andaman and Nicobar

Children under five too short for their age, NFHS-5 district factsheets (2019-21).

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Andaman and Nicobar?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 23% of children under five in Andaman and Nicobar were stunted, 16% wasted and 24% underweight, against 36%, 19% and 32% for India.

Is malnutrition falling in Andaman and Nicobar?

Stunting fell from 23% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 23% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 0.8 points.

Which district of Andaman and Nicobar has the most malnutrition?

North & Middle Andaman had the highest share of stunted children in NFHS-5, 27%, and South Andaman the lowest, 21%.

How many children are anaemic in Andaman and Nicobar?

40% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Andaman and Nicobar were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 58% of women aged 15 to 49.

Source: National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-21, IIPS and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; districts from NFHS-5 district factsheets, tabulated by pratapvardhan/NFHS-5 (CC BY 4.0).