Skip to content
Hunger · South Africa

Child malnutrition in North West

27%of children under five stunted (2016 survey)High

North West ranks 4th of 9 parts of South Africa for child stunting, close to South Africa's 27%.

5.9%children under 5 wasted; South Africa 2.5%
13%children under 5 underweight; South Africa 5.9%
68%children 6-59 months anaemic; South Africa 61%

Child stunting across South Africa

The same 2016 survey, every part it reports.

  1. 1Gauteng34%
  2. 2Free State34%
  3. 3KwaZulu Natal29%
  4. 4North West27%
  5. 5Eastern Cape25%
  6. 6Western Cape23%
  7. 7Northern Province22%
  8. 8Mpumalanga22%
  9. 9Northern Cape21%

Frequently asked questions

What is the child malnutrition rate in North West?

In South Africa's 2016 Demographic and Health Survey, 27% of children under five in North West were stunted (too short for their age), 5.9% wasted and 13% underweight.

Is malnutrition in North West worse than in the rest of South Africa?

North West ranks 4th of 9 for stunting in the survey, highest first, close to South Africa's 27%.

How many children are anaemic in North West?

68% of children aged 6 to 59 months in North West had anaemia in 2016, above South Africa's 61%; WHO counts 40% or more as a severe public health problem.

Is there data for cities and towns in North West?

The survey reports South Africa by region, not by city, so a town or neighbourhood in North West shares these figures. Local clinics and nutrition programmes keep their own records.

Source: South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016 (ZA2016DHS), via The DHS Program, STATcompiler. Survey estimates for small regions carry wide margins; read differences of a few points as similar.

Hunger in South Africa as a whole

Undernourishment, food insecurity, the Global Hunger Index and the UN's latest estimates for the country.

Hunger in South Africa