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Hunger · India

Child malnutrition in Mizoram

29%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)High

Mizoram ranks 23rd of 36 states and union territories for child stunting, highest first; India's figure is 36%. In towns it is 26%, in villages 32%.

9.8%children under 5 wasted
13%children under 5 underweight
46%children 6-59 months anaemic
13%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Mizoram in NFHS-5, town and village

MeasureMizoramUrbanRuralNFHS-4India
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)28.9%25.5%31.9%28.1%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)9.8%8.3%11.2%6.1%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted4.9%3.6%6.1%2.3%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight12.7%9.3%15.8%12%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight10%12.1%8.1%4.2%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic46.4%42.8%49.6%19.3%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic34.8%30.8%39.9%24.8%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)5.3%4.2%6.8%8.4%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet13.4%15.9%10.8%14.5%11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed67.9%74.3%62.2%61.1%63.7%

Child stunting by district in Mizoram

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

  1. 1Saiha44%
  2. 2Lawngtlai33%
  3. 3Serchhip32%
  4. 4Kolasib30%
  5. 5Champhai27%
  6. 6Lunglei27%
  7. 7Mamit26%
  8. 8Aizawl25%

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Mizoram?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 29% of children under five in Mizoram were stunted, 9.8% wasted and 13% underweight, against 36%, 19% and 32% for India.

Is malnutrition falling in Mizoram?

Stunting rose from 28% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 29% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 0.8 points.

Which district of Mizoram has the most malnutrition?

Saiha had the highest share of stunted children in NFHS-5, 44%, and Aizawl the lowest, 25%.

How many children are anaemic in Mizoram?

46% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Mizoram were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 35% 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