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Hunger · Karnataka

Child malnutrition in Bangalore (Bangalore, Bengaluru)

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

Bangalore ranks 17th of 30 districts in Karnataka for child stunting, highest first, below Karnataka's 35%. It rose 3.2 points since NFHS-4.

19%children under 5 wasted
28%children under 5 underweight
59%children 6-59 months anaemic
7.4%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Bangalore against Karnataka and India

MeasureBangaloreNFHS-4KarnatakaIndia
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)31.3%28.1%35.4%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)19.2%28.9%19.5%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted11.4%11.7%8.4%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight28.1%26.8%32.9%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight4.3%3.5%3.2%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic58.9%51.7%65.5%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic35.5%39.6%47.8%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)10%14%17.2%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet7.4%13.9%12.8%11.3%

Child stunting in Karnataka's districts

  1. 1Yadgir58%
  2. 2Koppal49%
  3. 3Bagalkot48%
  4. 4Bijapur46%
  5. 5Dharwad45%
  6. 6Gadag45%
  7. 7Tumkur40%
  8. 8Raichur40%
  9. 9Davanagere38%
  10. 10Bidar37%
  11. 11Bangalore Rural37%
  12. 12Bellary36%
  13. 13Chitradurga36%
  14. 14Gulbarga35%
  15. 15Belgaum33%
  16. 16Chamarajanagar32%
  17. 17Bangalore31%
  18. 18Chikkaballapura31%
  19. 19Kolar31%
  20. 20Kodagu30%
  21. 21Haveri30%
  22. 22Uttara Kannada30%
  23. 23Shimoga29%
  24. 24Mysore28%
  25. 25Chikmagalur27%
  26. 26Hassan27%
  27. 27Dakshina Kannada25%
  28. 28Mandya24%
  29. 29Udupi23%
  30. 30Ramanagara16%

Water in Bangalore

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

Groundwater in BangaloreRainfall in BangaloreWater table in Bangalore

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Bangalore?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 31% of children under five in Bangalore district were stunted, 19% wasted and 28% underweight. Stunting is below Karnataka's 35% and India's 36%.

Is child malnutrition falling in Bangalore?

Stunting in Bangalore rose from 28% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 31% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 3.2 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 Bangalore?

59% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Bangalore were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 36% of women aged 15 to 49.

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

No survey publishes child nutrition below the district, so every town, village and neighbourhood in Bangalore 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 Karnataka.