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Hunger · West Bengal

Child malnutrition in Birbhum

37%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)Very high

Birbhum ranks 5th of 20 districts in West Bengal for child stunting, highest first, above West Bengal's 34%. It fell 3.5 points since NFHS-4.

26%children under 5 wasted
42%children under 5 underweight
77%children 6-59 months anaemic
25%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Birbhum against West Bengal and India

MeasureBirbhumNFHS-4West BengalIndia
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)37%40.5%33.8%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)25.5%29.5%20.3%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted5.6%10.1%7.1%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight41.8%43.1%32.2%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight3.4%1.3%4.3%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic76.5%59%69%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic77.7%63.8%71.4%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)20.5%30.3%14.8%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet24.6%30.3%23.4%11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed56.2%–53.3%63.7%

Child stunting in West Bengal's districts

  1. 1Uttar Dinajpur45%
  2. 2Maldah41%
  3. 3Murshidabad40%
  4. 4Paschim Barddhaman40%
  5. 5Birbhum37%
  6. 6Puruliya37%
  7. 7South Twenty Four Parganas37%
  8. 8Darjeeling34%
  9. 9Purba Barddhaman33%
  10. 10North Twenty Four Parganas32%
  11. 11Dakshin Dinajpur32%
  12. 12Paschim Medinipur31%
  13. 13Bankura30%
  14. 14Kolkata30%
  15. 15Hugli29%
  16. 16Jalpaiguri29%
  17. 17Koch Bihar29%
  18. 18Haora28%
  19. 19Nadia26%
  20. 20Purba Medinipur26%

Water in Birbhum

Groundwater, rain and the water table shape what farms in Birbhum can grow and what families can drink.

Groundwater in BirbhumRainfall in Birbhum

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Birbhum?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 37% of children under five in Birbhum district were stunted, 26% wasted and 42% underweight. Stunting is above West Bengal's 34% and India's 36%.

Is child malnutrition falling in Birbhum?

Stunting in Birbhum fell from 41% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 37% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 3.5 points. District estimates come from a few hundred children each, so a change of a few points can be chance.

How many children are anaemic in Birbhum?

77% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Birbhum were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 78% of women aged 15 to 49.

Is there malnutrition data for my town or neighbourhood in Birbhum?

No survey publishes child nutrition below the district, so every town, village and neighbourhood in Birbhum shares these figures. The local anganwadi keeps growth records for the children it serves.

Source: National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-21, IIPS and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, district factsheet, tabulated by pratapvardhan/NFHS-5 (CC BY 4.0). All of West Bengal.