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Hunger · West Bengal

Child malnutrition in Kolkata

30%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)High

Kolkata ranks 14th of 20 districts in West Bengal for child stunting, highest first, below West Bengal's 34%. It rose 5.4 points since NFHS-4.

29%children under 5 wasted
33%children under 5 underweight
72%children 6-59 months anaemic
32%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Kolkata against West Bengal and India

MeasureKolkataNFHS-4West BengalIndia
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)29.6%24.2%33.8%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)29.3%17.4%20.3%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted16.9%4.7%7.1%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight32.9%19.6%32.2%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight6%5.1%4.3%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic72.3%70%69%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic58.2%46.4%71.4%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)6.6%7.3%14.8%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet31.6%13.6%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 Kolkata

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

Groundwater in KolkataRainfall in Kolkata

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Kolkata?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 30% of children under five in Kolkata district were stunted, 29% wasted and 33% underweight. Stunting is below West Bengal's 34% and India's 36%.

Is child malnutrition falling in Kolkata?

Stunting in Kolkata rose from 24% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 30% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 5.4 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 Kolkata?

72% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Kolkata were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 58% of women aged 15 to 49.

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

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