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Hunger · West Bengal

Child malnutrition in Paschim Barddhaman

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

Paschim Barddhaman ranks 4th of 20 districts in West Bengal for child stunting, highest first, above West Bengal's 34%.

26%children under 5 wasted
41%children under 5 underweight
75%children 6-59 months anaemic
31%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Paschim Barddhaman against West Bengal and India

MeasurePaschim BarddhamanNFHS-4West BengalIndia
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)39.7%–33.8%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)25.5%–20.3%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted8%–7.1%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight41%–32.2%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight3.1%–4.3%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic74.7%–69%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic65.8%–71.4%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)18.4%–14.8%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet31.1%–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 Paschim Barddhaman

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

Groundwater in Paschim BarddhamanRainfall in Paschim Barddhaman

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Paschim Barddhaman?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 40% of children under five in Paschim Barddhaman district were stunted, 26% wasted and 41% underweight. Stunting is above West Bengal's 34% and India's 36%.

Is child malnutrition falling in Paschim Barddhaman?

NFHS-4 did not report Paschim Barddhaman in the same form, so there is no like-for-like change.

How many children are anaemic in Paschim Barddhaman?

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

Is there malnutrition data for my town or neighbourhood in Paschim Barddhaman?

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