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Hunger · West Bengal

Child malnutrition in Maldah

41%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)Very high

Maldah ranks 2nd of 20 districts in West Bengal for child stunting, highest first, above West Bengal's 34%. It rose 2.7 points since NFHS-4.

20%children under 5 wasted
35%children under 5 underweight
71%children 6-59 months anaemic
24%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Maldah against West Bengal and India

MeasureMaldahNFHS-4West BengalIndia
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)40.5%37.8%33.8%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)20%22.8%20.3%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted6.3%8.9%7.1%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight35.3%37.2%32.2%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight3.3%0.9%4.3%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic71%55.2%69%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic73.6%59%71.4%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)15.7%23.9%14.8%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet24.2%6%23.4%11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed59.8%63.7%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 Maldah

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

Groundwater in MaldahRainfall in Maldah

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Maldah?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 41% of children under five in Maldah district were stunted, 20% wasted and 35% underweight. Stunting is above West Bengal's 34% and India's 36%.

Is child malnutrition falling in Maldah?

Stunting in Maldah rose from 38% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 41% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 2.7 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 Maldah?

71% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Maldah were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 74% of women aged 15 to 49.

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

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