Commensurate with global and regional trends, India continues to show a reduction in stunting and recorded 1.6 crore fewer stunted children under five years in 2022 as compared to 2012, according to the Joint Malnutrition Estimates (JME) released by UNICEF, WHO and the World Bank.
However, wasting continues to remain a concern and so does growing levels of obesity.
Stunting among children under five years in India dropped from a prevalence rate of 41.6% in 2012 to 31.7% in 2022 — with the numbers dropping from 52 lakh to 36 lakh. This was accompanied by India’s share of the global burden of stunting declining from 30% to 25% in the past decade.
