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Hunger · West Bengal

Child malnutrition in Uttar Dinajpur

45%of children under five stunted (NFHS-5, 2019-21)Very high

Uttar Dinajpur ranks 1st of 20 districts in West Bengal for child stunting, highest first, above West Bengal's 34%. It rose 4.4 points since NFHS-4.

16%children under 5 wasted
32%children under 5 underweight
77%children 6-59 months anaemic
20%children 6-23 months with an adequate diet

Uttar Dinajpur against West Bengal and India

MeasureUttar DinajpurNFHS-4West BengalIndia
Children under 5 stunted (too short for age)44.8%40.4%33.8%35.5%
Children under 5 wasted (too thin for height)16%14%20.3%19.3%
Children under 5 severely wasted7.2%5.6%7.1%7.7%
Children under 5 underweight32%34.7%32.2%32.1%
Children under 5 overweight7.1%2%4.3%3.4%
Children 6-59 months anaemic77.2%64.4%69%67.1%
Women 15-49 anaemic72.4%62.1%71.4%57%
Women 15-49 underweight (BMI under 18.5)16.5%25.7%14.8%18.7%
Children 6-23 months with an adequate diet20.4%15.2%23.4%11.3%
Babies under 6 months only breastfed66.4%67.8%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 Uttar Dinajpur

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

Groundwater in Uttar DinajpurRainfall in Uttar Dinajpur

Frequently asked questions

What is the malnutrition rate in Uttar Dinajpur?

In NFHS-5 (2019-21), 45% of children under five in Uttar Dinajpur district were stunted, 16% wasted and 32% underweight. Stunting is above West Bengal's 34% and India's 36%.

Is child malnutrition falling in Uttar Dinajpur?

Stunting in Uttar Dinajpur rose from 40% in NFHS-4 (2015-16) to 45% in NFHS-5 (2019-21), 4.4 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 Uttar Dinajpur?

77% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Uttar Dinajpur were anaemic in NFHS-5, which WHO counts as a severe public health problem. So were 72% of women aged 15 to 49.

Is there malnutrition data for my town or neighbourhood in Uttar Dinajpur?

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