Hunger · India

Child malnutrition in Odisha

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

Odisha ranks 19th of 36 states and union territories for child stunting, highest first; India's figure is 36%. In towns it is 25%, in villages 32%.

18%children under 5 wasted

30%children under 5 underweight

64%children 6-59 months anaemic

20%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Odisha in NFHS-5, town and village

Measure	Odisha	Urban	Rural	NFHS-4	India
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)	31%	24.9%	32%	34.1%	35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)	18.1%	14.9%	18.6%	20.4%	19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted	6.1%	3.9%	6.4%	6.4%	7.7%
Children under 5 underweight	29.7%	21.5%	31%	34.4%	32.1%
Children under 5 overweight	3.5%	5.5%	3.2%	2.6%	3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic	64.2%	56.2%	65.6%	44.6%	67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic	64.3%	61.5%	64.9%	51%	57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)	20.8%	12.6%	22.6%	26.5%	18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet	20.4%	14.7%	21.4%	8.5%	11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed	72.9%	68.3%	73.7%	65.6%	63.7%

Child stunting by district in Odisha

NFHS-5 surveyed all 30 districts of Odisha, but their factsheets are not yet in the open tabulation these pages read, so the figures above, for the state as a whole, are the closest available for any district or city in it.

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Odisha?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 31% of children under five in Odisha were stunted, 18% wasted and 30% underweight, against 36%, 19% and 32% for India.

Is malnutrition falling in Odisha?

Stunting fell from 34% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 31% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 3.1 points.

Which district of Odisha has the most malnutrition?

NFHS-5 measured every district, but Odisha's district factsheets have not been tabulated in the open dataset these pages use yet, so this page shows the state's figures, the nearest level available.

How many children are anaemic in Odisha?

64% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Odisha were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 64% of women aged 15 to 49.

Source: National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-21, IIPS and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.