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Hunger · West Bengal

Child malnutrition in Purba Medinipur

26%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)High

Purba Medinipur ranks 20th of 20 districts in West Bengal for child stunting, highest first, below West Bengal's 34%. It fell 4.1 points since NFHS-4.

16%children under 5 wasted
31%children under 5 underweight
68%children 6-59 months anaemic
21%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Purba Medinipur against West Bengal and India

MeasurePurba MedinipurNFHS-4West BengalIndia
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)25.8%29.9%33.8%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)15.5%24.5%20.3%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted3%5.7%7.1%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight30.6%32.8%32.2%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight3.1%1%4.3%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic67.5%42.5%69%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic70.4%59%71.4%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)16.5%19.4%14.8%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet20.9%17.4%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 Purba Medinipur

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

Groundwater in Purba MedinipurRainfall in Purba Medinipur

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Purba Medinipur?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 26% of children under five in Purba Medinipur district were stunted, 16% wasted and 31% underweight. Stunting is below West Bengal's 34% and India's 36%.

Is child malnutrition falling in Purba Medinipur?

Stunting in Purba Medinipur fell from 30% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 26% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 4.1 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 Purba Medinipur?

68% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Purba Medinipur were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 70% of women aged 15 to 49.

Is there malnutrition data for my town or neighbourhood in Purba Medinipur?

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