Nepal: Vitamin A supplementation coverage rate (% of children ages 6-59 months)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Nepal's vitamin A supplementation coverage rate (% of children ages 6-59 months) fell 12 percentage points on 2022 (from 94% to 82%).

Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2022), the average change was +0.95 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 7.8 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 23 percentage points in 2001 and the biggest yearly fall was 14 percentage points in 2014. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 22% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Nepal had the 17th highest value of the 43 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Nepal in the 2023 ranking

• Côte d'Ivoire — 14th of 43: 85%
• Guinea — 15th of 43: 85%
• Kenya — 16th of 43: 84%
• South Sudan — 18th of 43: 79%
• Burundi — 19th of 43: 77%
• Ethiopia — 20th of 43: 77%

What this measures

Vitamin A supplementation coverage rate refers to the percentage of children ages 6-59 months old receiving two high-dose vitamin A supplements in a calendar year.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 24 values

Vitamin A supplementation coverage rate (% of children ages 6-59 months) in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 99% (2023)
• India — 54% (2020)

More health data for Nepal

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 8.63% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 9.78% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 4.04 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 26.1% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 4.27 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 30.19% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 8.31 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 28.05% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 8.6% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, male (% of male population)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Nepal's vitamin A supplementation coverage rate (% of children ages 6-59 months)?

82% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2000?

It is up 9 percentage points from 73% in 2000. The highest value was 99% in 2013 and the lowest 73% in 2000.

How does Nepal rank?

17th highest of 43 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in vitamin A supplementation coverage rate (% of children ages 6-59 months) unusual for Nepal?

In 2023, Nepal's vitamin A supplementation coverage rate (% of children ages 6-59 months) fell 12 percentage points on 2022 (from 94% to 82%). Across the 22 yearly changes before that (2001 to 2022), the average change was +0.95 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 7.8 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SN.ITK.VITA.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: UNICEF Global Databases, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), uri: https://data.unicef.org/topic/nutrition/vitamin-a-deficiency/, note: based on administrative reports from countries Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.