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Hunger · Zimbabwe

Child malnutrition in Matabeleland South

31%of children under five stunted (2015 survey)Very high

Matabeleland South ranks 1st of 10 parts of Zimbabwe for child stunting, above Zimbabwe's 27%.

3.7%children under 5 wasted; Zimbabwe 3.2%
14%children under 5 underweight; Zimbabwe 8.4%
39%children 6-59 months anaemic; Zimbabwe 37%

Child stunting across Zimbabwe

The same 2015 survey, every part it reports.

  1. 1Matabeleland South31%
  2. 2Manicaland30%
  3. 3Mashonaland Central29%
  4. 4Mashonaland West28%
  5. 5Midlands27%
  6. 6Masvingo27%
  7. 7Mashonaland East25%
  8. 8Matabeleland North24%
  9. 9Harare Chitungwiza23%
  10. 10Bulawayo19%

Frequently asked questions

What is the child malnutrition rate in Matabeleland South?

In Zimbabwe's 2015 Demographic and Health Survey, 31% of children under five in Matabeleland South were stunted (too short for their age), 3.7% wasted and 14% underweight.

Is malnutrition in Matabeleland South worse than in the rest of Zimbabwe?

Matabeleland South ranks 1st of 10 for stunting in the survey, highest first, above Zimbabwe's 27%.

How many children are anaemic in Matabeleland South?

39% of children aged 6 to 59 months in Matabeleland South had anaemia in 2015, above Zimbabwe's 37%; WHO counts 40% or more as a severe public health problem.

Is there data for cities and towns in Matabeleland South?

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

Source: Zimbabwe Demographic and Health Survey 2015 (ZW2015DHS), via The DHS Program, STATcompiler. Survey estimates for small regions carry wide margins; read differences of a few points as similar.

Hunger in Zimbabwe as a whole

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

Hunger in Zimbabwe