Hunger · India

Child malnutrition in Ladakh

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

Ladakh ranks 22nd of 36 states and union territories for child stunting, highest first; India's figure is 36%. In towns it is 28%, in villages 31%.

18%children under 5 wasted

20%children under 5 underweight

93%children 6-59 months anaemic

24%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Ladakh in NFHS-5, town and village

Measure	Ladakh	Urban	Rural	NFHS-4	India
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)	30.5%	28.2%	31.1%	30.9%	35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)	17.5%	14.8%	18.2%	9.3%	19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted	9.1%	5.8%	10%	5.1%	7.7%
Children under 5 underweight	20.4%	17%	21.2%	18.7%	32.1%
Children under 5 overweight	13.4%	17%	12.4%	4%	3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic	92.5%	84.1%	95.1%	91.4%	67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic	92.8%	89.5%	93.5%	78.4%	57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)	4.4%	3.7%	4.5%	10.5%	18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet	24%	25.3%	23.6%	23.9%	11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed	70.9%	–	66.6%	64.1%	63.7%

Child stunting by district in Ladakh

Children under five too short for their age, NFHS-5 district factsheets (2019-21).

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Ladakh?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 31% of children under five in Ladakh were stunted, 18% wasted and 20% underweight, against 36%, 19% and 32% for India.

Is malnutrition falling in Ladakh?

Stunting fell from 31% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 31% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 0.4 points.

Which district of Ladakh has the most malnutrition?

Kargil had the highest share of stunted children in NFHS-5, 37%, and Leh (Ladakh) the lowest, 24%.

How many children are anaemic in Ladakh?

93% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Ladakh were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 93% of women aged 15 to 49.

Source: National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-21, IIPS and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; districts from NFHS-5 district factsheets, tabulated by pratapvardhan/NFHS-5 (CC BY 4.0).