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Hunger · West Bengal

Child malnutrition in Dakshin Dinajpur

32%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)Very high

Dakshin Dinajpur ranks 11th of 20 districts in West Bengal for child stunting, highest first, below West Bengal's 34%. It fell 1 points since NFHS-4.

23%children under 5 wasted
30%children under 5 underweight
73%children 6-59 months anaemic
34%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Dakshin Dinajpur against West Bengal and India

MeasureDakshin DinajpurNFHS-4West BengalIndia
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)31.9%32.9%33.8%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)22.8%17.1%20.3%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted9.6%4.3%7.1%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight30.2%28.1%32.2%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight3.9%4.4%4.3%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic72.5%66.7%69%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic82%77%71.4%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)14.9%24.9%14.8%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet34.2%15.5%23.4%11.3%

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 Dakshin Dinajpur

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

Groundwater in Dakshin DinajpurRainfall in Dakshin Dinajpur

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Dakshin Dinajpur?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 32% of children under five in Dakshin Dinajpur district were stunted, 23% wasted and 30% underweight. Stunting is below West Bengal's 34% and India's 36%.

Is child malnutrition falling in Dakshin Dinajpur?

Stunting in Dakshin Dinajpur fell from 33% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 32% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 1 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 Dakshin Dinajpur?

73% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Dakshin Dinajpur were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 82% of women aged 15 to 49.

Is there malnutrition data for my town or neighbourhood in Dakshin Dinajpur?

No survey publishes child nutrition below the district, so every town, village and neighbourhood in Dakshin Dinajpur 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.