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Hunger · India

Child malnutrition in Meghalaya

47%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)Very high

Meghalaya ranks 1st of 36 states and union territories for child stunting, highest first; India's figure is 36%. In towns it is 35%, in villages 48%.

12%children under 5 wasted
27%children under 5 underweight
45%children 6-59 months anaemic
30%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Meghalaya in NFHS-5, town and village

MeasureMeghalayaUrbanRuralNFHS-4India
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)46.5%35.1%48.2%43.8%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)12.1%13%12%15.3%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted4.7%4.6%4.7%6.5%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight26.6%22.2%27.3%28.9%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight4%4.2%4%3.9%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic45.1%38.8%46%48%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic53.8%51.8%54.3%56.2%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)10.8%10.2%11%12.1%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet29.8%39.5%28.4%23.5%11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed42.7%64.5%39.2%35.8%63.7%

Child stunting by district in Meghalaya

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

  1. 1West Khasi Hills59%
  2. 2South West Khasi Hills51%
  3. 3East Jaintia Hills50%
  4. 4West Jaintia Hills49%
  5. 5East Khasi Hills45%
  6. 6Ribhoi43%
  7. 7East Garo Hills40%
  8. 8West Garo Hills40%
  9. 9North Garo Hills36%
  10. 10South West Garo Hills32%
  11. 11South Garo Hills30%

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Meghalaya?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 47% of children under five in Meghalaya were stunted, 12% wasted and 27% underweight, against 36%, 19% and 32% for India.

Is malnutrition falling in Meghalaya?

Stunting rose from 44% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 47% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 2.7 points.

Which district of Meghalaya has the most malnutrition?

West Khasi Hills had the highest share of stunted children in NFHS-5, 59%, and South Garo Hills the lowest, 30%.

How many children are anaemic in Meghalaya?

45% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Meghalaya were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 54% 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).

Malnutrition in other states