Hunger · India

Child malnutrition in Delhi

31%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)Very high

Delhi ranks 20th of 36 states and union territories for child stunting, highest first; India's figure is 36%. In towns it is 31%, in villages 26%.

11%children under 5 wasted

22%children under 5 underweight

69%children 6-59 months anaemic

17%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Delhi in NFHS-5, town and village

Measure	Delhi	Urban	Rural	NFHS-4	India
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)	30.9%	31%	26.3%	31.9%	35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)	11.2%	11.4%	7.6%	15.9%	19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted	4.9%	4.9%	3.7%	4.6%	7.7%
Children under 5 underweight	21.8%	22.2%	11.3%	27%	32.1%
Children under 5 overweight	4%	4%	4.5%	1.2%	3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic	69.2%	68.7%	81.7%	59.7%	67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic	49.9%	49.7%	58.6%	54.3%	57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)	10%	10.1%	6.8%	14.9%	18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet	16.8%	16.4%	28.4%	5.2%	11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed	64.3%	64.3%	–	49.6%	63.7%

Child stunting by district in Delhi

NFHS-5 surveyed all 11 districts of Delhi, but their factsheets are not yet in the open tabulation these pages read, so the figures above, for the state as a whole, are the closest available for any district or city in it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Delhi?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 31% of children under five in Delhi were stunted, 11% wasted and 22% underweight, against 36%, 19% and 32% for India.

Is malnutrition falling in Delhi?

Stunting fell from 32% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 31% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 1 points.

Which district of Delhi has the most malnutrition?

NFHS-5 measured every district, but Delhi's district factsheets have not been tabulated in the open dataset these pages use yet, so this page shows the state's figures, the nearest level available.

How many children are anaemic in Delhi?

69% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Delhi were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 50% of women aged 15 to 49.

Source: National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-21, IIPS and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.