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Hunger · West Bengal

Child malnutrition in Murshidabad

40%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)Very high

Murshidabad ranks 3rd of 20 districts in West Bengal for child stunting, highest first, above West Bengal's 34%. It fell 2.1 points since NFHS-4.

16%children under 5 wasted
32%children under 5 underweight
72%children 6-59 months anaemic
7.8%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Murshidabad against West Bengal and India

MeasureMurshidabadNFHS-4West BengalIndia
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)39.8%41.9%33.8%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)16.3%17.5%20.3%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted3.7%4.6%7.1%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight32.4%34.6%32.2%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight3.6%2.4%4.3%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic72.1%46.7%69%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic77.6%57.5%71.4%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)19.9%21.1%14.8%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet7.8%13.4%23.4%11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed39%–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 Murshidabad

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

Groundwater in MurshidabadRainfall in Murshidabad

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Murshidabad?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 40% of children under five in Murshidabad district were stunted, 16% wasted and 32% underweight. Stunting is above West Bengal's 34% and India's 36%.

Is child malnutrition falling in Murshidabad?

Stunting in Murshidabad fell from 42% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 40% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 2.1 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 Murshidabad?

72% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Murshidabad were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 78% of women aged 15 to 49.

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

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