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Hunger · Kerala

Child malnutrition in Kannur

19%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)Medium

Kannur ranks 13th of 14 districts in Kerala for child stunting, highest first, below Kerala's 23%. It fell 5.9 points since NFHS-4.

14%children under 5 wasted
18%children under 5 underweight
37%children 6-59 months anaemic
38%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Kannur against Kerala and India

MeasureKannurNFHS-4KeralaIndia
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)19.4%25.3%23.4%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)14%10.2%15.8%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted6.9%3.5%5.8%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight17.9%10.5%19.7%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight3%6.7%4%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic37.2%44.1%39.4%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic39.7%37.3%36.3%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)8.7%9.7%10.1%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet38.4%20.1%23.5%11.3%

Child stunting in Kerala's districts

  1. 1Wayanad31%
  2. 2Palakkad30%
  3. 3Malappuram29%
  4. 4Kasaragod25%
  5. 5Idukki24%
  6. 6Kottayam23%
  7. 7Pathanamthitta23%
  8. 8Ernakulam22%
  9. 9Thrissur22%
  10. 10Kozhikode21%
  11. 11Alappuzha20%
  12. 12Thiruvananthapuram20%
  13. 13Kannur19%
  14. 14Kollam16%

Water in Kannur

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

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Kannur?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 19% of children under five in Kannur district were stunted, 14% wasted and 18% underweight. Stunting is below Kerala's 23% and India's 36%.

Is child malnutrition falling in Kannur?

Stunting in Kannur fell from 25% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 19% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 5.9 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 Kannur?

37% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Kannur were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a moderate public health problem. So were 40% of women aged 15 to 49.

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

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