Hunger · India

Child malnutrition in Tamil Nadu

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

Tamil Nadu ranks 30th of 36 states and union territories for child stunting, highest first; India's figure is 36%. In towns it is 22%, in villages 27%.

15%children under 5 wasted

22%children under 5 underweight

57%children 6-59 months anaemic

16%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Tamil Nadu in NFHS-5, town and village

Measure	Tamil Nadu	Urban	Rural	NFHS-4	India
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)	25%	22.2%	27.2%	27.1%	35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)	14.6%	13.9%	15.2%	19.7%	19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted	5.5%	5.3%	5.6%	7.9%	7.7%
Children under 5 underweight	22%	20%	23.5%	23.8%	32.1%
Children under 5 overweight	4.3%	5.1%	3.7%	5%	3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic	57.4%	53.7%	60.4%	50.7%	67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic	53.4%	51.3%	55.3%	55%	57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)	12.6%	9.7%	15.2%	14.6%	18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet	16.3%	17.9%	15%	30.7%	11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed	55.1%	45.5%	61.9%	48.3%	63.7%

Child stunting by district in Tamil Nadu

NFHS-5 surveyed all 41 districts of Tamil Nadu, 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 Tamil Nadu?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 25% of children under five in Tamil Nadu were stunted, 15% wasted and 22% underweight, against 36%, 19% and 32% for India.

Is malnutrition falling in Tamil Nadu?

Stunting fell from 27% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 25% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 2.1 points.

Which district of Tamil Nadu has the most malnutrition?

NFHS-5 measured every district, but Tamil Nadu'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 Tamil Nadu?

57% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Tamil Nadu were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 53% of women aged 15 to 49.

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