Hunger · India

Child malnutrition in Punjab

25%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)High

Punjab ranks 31st of 36 states and union territories for child stunting, highest first; India's figure is 36%. In towns it is 26%, in villages 24%.

11%children under 5 wasted

17%children under 5 underweight

71%children 6-59 months anaemic

12%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Punjab in NFHS-5, town and village

Measure	Punjab	Urban	Rural	NFHS-4	India
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)	24.5%	25.7%	23.9%	25.7%	35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)	10.6%	11.7%	10%	15.6%	19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted	3.7%	4.3%	3.3%	5.6%	7.7%
Children under 5 underweight	16.9%	17.9%	16.4%	21.6%	32.1%
Children under 5 overweight	4.1%	4.4%	4%	2.3%	3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic	71.1%	71%	71.1%	56.6%	67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic	58.7%	59%	58.5%	53.5%	57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)	12.7%	11.9%	13.1%	11.7%	18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet	11.9%	12.2%	11.8%	5.9%	11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed	55.5%	52.6%	57%	53%	63.7%

Child stunting by district in Punjab

NFHS-5 surveyed all 27 districts of Punjab, 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 Punjab?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 25% of children under five in Punjab were stunted, 11% wasted and 17% underweight, against 36%, 19% and 32% for India.

Is malnutrition falling in Punjab?

Stunting fell from 26% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 25% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 1.2 points.

Which district of Punjab has the most malnutrition?

NFHS-5 measured every district, but Punjab'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 Punjab?

71% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Punjab were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 59% of women aged 15 to 49.

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