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Hunger · India

Child malnutrition in Jammu and Kashmir

27%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)High

Jammu and Kashmir ranks 27th of 36 states and union territories for child stunting, highest first; India's figure is 36%. In towns it is 30%, in villages 26%.

19%children under 5 wasted
21%children under 5 underweight
73%children 6-59 months anaemic
14%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Jammu and Kashmir in NFHS-5, town and village

MeasureJammu and KashmirUrbanRuralNFHS-4India
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)26.9%30.1%25.9%27.4%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)19%17.6%19.4%12.2%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted9.7%9.6%9.7%5.6%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight21%19.4%21.5%16.6%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight9.6%10.8%9.3%5.7%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic72.7%70.1%73.5%53.8%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic65.9%61.4%67.5%48.9%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)5.2%3.7%5.8%12.2%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet13.6%12.3%14%23.5%11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed62%68.1%59.9%65.4%63.7%

Child stunting by district in Jammu and Kashmir

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

  1. 1Udhampur37%
  2. 2Srinagar33%
  3. 3Doda33%
  4. 4Rajouri30%
  5. 5Kulgam28%
  6. 6Anantnag28%
  7. 7Kishtwar28%
  8. 8Jammu27%
  9. 9Badgam27%
  10. 10Punch26%
  11. 11Ramban26%
  12. 12Bandipore25%
  13. 13Kupwara25%
  14. 14Samba25%
  15. 15Baramula23%
  16. 16Pulwama22%
  17. 17Shupiyan22%
  18. 18Kathua22%
  19. 19Ganderbal19%
  20. 20Reasi18%

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Jammu and Kashmir?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 27% of children under five in Jammu and Kashmir were stunted, 19% wasted and 21% underweight, against 36%, 19% and 32% for India.

Is malnutrition falling in Jammu and Kashmir?

Stunting fell from 27% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 27% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 0.5 points.

Which district of Jammu and Kashmir has the most malnutrition?

Udhampur had the highest share of stunted children in NFHS-5, 37%, and Reasi the lowest, 18%.

How many children are anaemic in Jammu and Kashmir?

73% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Jammu and Kashmir were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 66% 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).

Malnutrition in other states