Hunger · India

Child malnutrition in Jharkhand

40%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)Very high

Jharkhand ranks 4th of 36 states and union territories for child stunting, highest first; India's figure is 36%. In towns it is 27%, in villages 42%.

22%children under 5 wasted

39%children under 5 underweight

68%children 6-59 months anaemic

11%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Jharkhand in NFHS-5, town and village

Measure	Jharkhand	Urban	Rural	NFHS-4	India
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)	39.6%	26.8%	42.3%	45.3%	35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)	22.4%	23%	22.3%	29%	19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted	9.1%	10.7%	8.8%	11.4%	7.7%
Children under 5 underweight	39.4%	30%	41.4%	47.8%	32.1%
Children under 5 overweight	2.8%	2.8%	2.8%	1.5%	3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic	67.5%	65.5%	67.9%	69.9%	67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic	65.3%	61.1%	66.7%	65.2%	57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)	26.2%	17.3%	29.2%	31.5%	18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet	10.5%	10.3%	10.5%	7.2%	11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed	76.1%	61.6%	78.6%	64.8%	63.7%

Child stunting by district in Jharkhand

NFHS-5 surveyed all 25 districts of Jharkhand, 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 Jharkhand?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 40% of children under five in Jharkhand were stunted, 22% wasted and 39% underweight, against 36%, 19% and 32% for India.

Is malnutrition falling in Jharkhand?

Stunting fell from 45% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 40% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 5.7 points.

Which district of Jharkhand has the most malnutrition?

NFHS-5 measured every district, but Jharkhand'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 Jharkhand?

68% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Jharkhand were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 65% of women aged 15 to 49.

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