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Hunger · Kerala

Child malnutrition in Thrissur

22%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)High

Thrissur ranks 9th of 14 districts in Kerala for child stunting, highest first, below Kerala's 23%. It rose 1.2 points since NFHS-4.

9.6%children under 5 wasted
17%children under 5 underweight
49%children 6-59 months anaemic
14%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Thrissur against Kerala and India

MeasureThrissurNFHS-4KeralaIndia
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)22%20.8%23.4%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)9.6%15.3%15.8%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted3.8%9.4%5.8%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight17.3%14%19.7%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight6.1%3.5%4%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic48.7%39.4%39.4%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic44.4%42.1%36.3%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)10.9%8.2%10.1%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet14.3%8.9%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 Thrissur

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

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Thrissur?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 22% of children under five in Thrissur district were stunted, 9.6% wasted and 17% underweight. Stunting is below Kerala's 23% and India's 36%.

Is child malnutrition falling in Thrissur?

Stunting in Thrissur rose from 21% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 22% 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 Thrissur?

49% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Thrissur were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 44% of women aged 15 to 49.

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

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