Hunger · India

Child malnutrition in Sikkim

22%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)High

Sikkim ranks 35th of 36 states and union territories for child stunting, highest first; India's figure is 36%. In towns it is 15%, in villages 26%.

14%children under 5 wasted

13%children under 5 underweight

56%children 6-59 months anaemic

25%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Sikkim in NFHS-5, town and village

Measure	Sikkim	Urban	Rural	NFHS-4	India
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)	22.3%	15.1%	25.6%	29.6%	35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)	13.7%	13.2%	13.9%	14.2%	19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted	6.6%	6.4%	6.7%	5.9%	7.7%
Children under 5 underweight	13.1%	9%	14.9%	14.2%	32.1%
Children under 5 overweight	9.6%	3.5%	12.2%	8.6%	3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic	56.4%	54.8%	57.1%	55.1%	67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic	42.1%	42.4%	41.9%	34.9%	57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)	5.8%	6.1%	5.6%	6.4%	18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet	24.7%	–	31.9%	23.1%	11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed	28.3%	–	29.7%	54.6%	63.7%

Child stunting by district in Sikkim

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

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Sikkim?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 22% of children under five in Sikkim were stunted, 14% wasted and 13% underweight, against 36%, 19% and 32% for India.

Is malnutrition falling in Sikkim?

Stunting fell from 30% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 22% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 7.3 points.

Which district of Sikkim has the most malnutrition?

North District had the highest share of stunted children in NFHS-5, 32%, and East District the lowest, 18%.

How many children are anaemic in Sikkim?

56% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Sikkim were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 42% 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).