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Hunger · West Bengal

Child malnutrition in Darjeeling

34%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)Very high

Darjeeling ranks 8th of 20 districts in West Bengal for child stunting, highest first, level with West Bengal's 34%. It rose 5.2 points since NFHS-4.

21%children under 5 wasted
32%children under 5 underweight
68%children 6-59 months anaemic
29%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Darjeeling against West Bengal and India

MeasureDarjeelingNFHS-4West BengalIndia
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)34.3%29.1%33.8%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)20.6%11.3%20.3%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted11.6%3.7%7.1%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight31.6%25.7%32.2%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight8.2%4.1%4.3%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic68.1%45.8%69%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic59.2%48.3%71.4%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)11.8%15.4%14.8%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet29.4%10.7%23.4%11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed41.6%–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 Darjeeling

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

Groundwater in DarjeelingRainfall in Darjeeling

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Darjeeling?

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

Is child malnutrition falling in Darjeeling?

Stunting in Darjeeling rose from 29% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 34% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 5.2 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 Darjeeling?

68% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Darjeeling were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 59% of women aged 15 to 49.

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

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