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Hunger · West Bengal

Child malnutrition in Koch Bihar

29%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)High

Koch Bihar ranks 17th of 20 districts in West Bengal for child stunting, highest first, below West Bengal's 34%. It fell 4.2 points since NFHS-4.

17%children under 5 wasted
23%children under 5 underweight
66%children 6-59 months anaemic
23%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Koch Bihar against West Bengal and India

MeasureKoch BiharNFHS-4West BengalIndia
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)28.7%32.9%33.8%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)16.8%20.1%20.3%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted5.2%7.8%7.1%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight22.5%29.3%32.2%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight2.3%2.6%4.3%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic66.4%58.2%69%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic74.8%69.1%71.4%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)18.1%24.8%14.8%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet23.2%17.7%23.4%11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed45.9%57.6%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 Koch Bihar

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

Groundwater in Koch BiharRainfall in Koch Bihar

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Koch Bihar?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 29% of children under five in Koch Bihar district were stunted, 17% wasted and 23% underweight. Stunting is below West Bengal's 34% and India's 36%.

Is child malnutrition falling in Koch Bihar?

Stunting in Koch Bihar fell from 33% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 29% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 4.2 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 Koch Bihar?

66% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Koch Bihar were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 75% of women aged 15 to 49.

Is there malnutrition data for my town or neighbourhood in Koch Bihar?

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