Skip to content
Hunger · Bihar

Child malnutrition in Purnia

44%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)Very high

Purnia ranks 16th of 38 districts in Bihar for child stunting, highest first, above Bihar's 43%. It fell 8.6 points since NFHS-4.

26%children under 5 wasted
47%children under 5 underweight
68%children 6-59 months anaemic
5.5%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Purnia against Bihar and India

MeasurePurniaNFHS-4BiharIndia
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)43.5%52.1%42.9%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)25.8%20.8%22.9%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted8%5.7%8.8%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight47.1%47%41%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight0.8%2.1%2.4%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic68%66.5%69.4%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic66%68.8%63.5%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)31.4%38.8%25.6%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet5.5%11.7%10.9%11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed53.6%60%58.9%63.7%

Child stunting in Bihar's districts

  1. 1Sitamarhi54%
  2. 2Sheikhpura54%
  3. 3Araria50%
  4. 4Nawada49%
  5. 5Purba Champaran49%
  6. 6Saharsa48%
  7. 7Gaya47%
  8. 8Banka47%
  9. 9Madhepura46%
  10. 10Arwal46%
  11. 11Darbhanga45%
  12. 12Kaimur (Bhabua)44%
  13. 13Samastipur44%
  14. 14Katihar44%
  15. 15Pashchim Champaran44%
  16. 16Purnia44%
  17. 17Madhubani43%
  18. 18Jamui43%
  19. 19Lakhisarai43%
  20. 20Muzaffarpur43%
  21. 21Nalanda43%
  22. 22Supaul42%
  23. 23Jehanabad41%
  24. 24Aurangabad41%
  25. 25Bhojpur41%
  26. 26Bhagalpur40%
  27. 27Rohtas40%
  28. 28Saran40%
  29. 29Buxar40%
  30. 30Kishanganj39%
  31. 31Vaishali38%
  32. 32Begusarai38%
  33. 33Siwan37%
  34. 34Munger36%
  35. 35Khagaria35%
  36. 36Patna35%
  37. 37Sheohar34%
  38. 38Gopalganj34%

Water in Purnia

Groundwater, rain and the water table shape what farms in Purnia can grow and what families can drink.

Groundwater in PurniaRainfall in PurniaWater table in Purnia

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Purnia?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 44% of children under five in Purnia district were stunted, 26% wasted and 47% underweight. Stunting is above Bihar's 43% and India's 36%.

Is child malnutrition falling in Purnia?

Stunting in Purnia fell from 52% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 44% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 8.6 points. District estimates come from a few hundred children each, so a change of a few points can be chance.

How many children are anaemic in Purnia?

68% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Purnia were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 66% of women aged 15 to 49.

Is there malnutrition data for my town or neighbourhood in Purnia?

No survey publishes child nutrition below the district, so every town, village and neighbourhood in Purnia shares these figures. The local anganwadi keeps growth records for the children it serves.

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