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Hunger · Karnataka

Child malnutrition in Dakshina Kannada

25%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)High

Dakshina Kannada ranks 27th of 30 districts in Karnataka for child stunting, highest first, below Karnataka's 35%. It rose 1.2 points since NFHS-4.

31%children under 5 wasted
26%children under 5 underweight
51%children 6-59 months anaemic
5.3%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Dakshina Kannada against Karnataka and India

MeasureDakshina KannadaNFHS-4KarnatakaIndia
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)25.1%23.9%35.4%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)30.5%17.1%19.5%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted15.7%4%8.4%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight26.4%21.7%32.9%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight6.9%1.1%3.2%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic51.1%54.3%65.5%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic38.8%45.4%47.8%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)12.6%25.6%17.2%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet5.3%19%12.8%11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed63.5%–61%63.7%

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 Dakshina Kannada

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

Groundwater in Dakshina KannadaRainfall in Dakshina KannadaWater table in Dakshina Kannada

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Dakshina Kannada?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 25% of children under five in Dakshina Kannada district were stunted, 31% wasted and 26% underweight. Stunting is below Karnataka's 35% and India's 36%.

Is child malnutrition falling in Dakshina Kannada?

Stunting in Dakshina Kannada rose from 24% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 25% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 1.2 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 Dakshina Kannada?

51% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Dakshina Kannada were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 39% of women aged 15 to 49.

Is there malnutrition data for my town or neighbourhood in Dakshina Kannada?

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