Niger: Prevalence of stunting, height for age, male (% of children under 5)

Key figures

Since 1992 it is up 2.9 percentage points from 47.5% in 1992. The World Bank has no value for 12 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2022, Niger's prevalence of stunting, height for age, male (% of children under 5) rose 4.3 percentage points on 2021 (from 46.1% to 50.4%).

Across the 13 yearly changes before that (2007 to 2021), the average change was −1.06 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 4.18 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations above 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 4.3 percentage points in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 10.4 percentage points in 2012. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2013 to 2022 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.52 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 35% of the movement over 9 observed years.

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

How it compares

In 2022, Niger had the 1st highest value of the 10 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 Niger in the 2022 ranking

• Chad — 2nd of 10: 34.8%
• Tanzania — 3rd of 10: 33.3%
• Mauritania — 4th of 10: 27.6%

What this measures

Prevalence of stunting, male, is the percentage of boys under age 5 whose height for age is more than two standard deviations below the median for the international reference population ages 0-59 months. For children up to two years old height is measured by recumbent length. For older children height is measured by stature while standing. The data are based on the WHO's 2006 Child Growth Standards.

Limitations: Survey estimates come with levels of uncertainty due to both sampling error and non-sampling error (e.g., measurement technical error, recording error etc.,). None of the two sources of errors have been fully taken into account for deriving estimates neither at country nor at regional or worldwide levels.

All 19 values

Prevalence of stunting, height for age, male (% of children under 5) in nearby economies

• Burkina Faso — 24.5% (2021)
• Burundi — 56.6% (2024)
• Chad — 34.8% (2022)
• Ghana — 19.4% (2022)
• Kenya — 19.6% (2022)
• Malawi — 39.3% (2020)
• Mali — 26.7% (2024)
• Mauritania — 27.6% (2022)
• Senegal

More health data for Niger

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 17.57% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 17.56% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 6.35 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 46.18% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 6.56 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 46.27% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 12.91 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 46.23% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 15.19% (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 Niger's prevalence of stunting, height for age, male (% of children under 5)?

50.4% in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1992?

It is up 2.9 percentage points from 47.5% in 1992. The highest value was 55.6% in 2000 and the lowest 42.5% in 2012.

How does Niger rank?

1st highest of 10 economies with data for 2022.

Is the latest change in prevalence of stunting, height for age, male (% of children under 5) unusual for Niger?

In 2022, Niger's prevalence of stunting, height for age, male (% of children under 5) rose 4.3 percentage points on 2021 (from 46.1% to 50.4%). Across the 13 yearly changes before that (2007 to 2021), the average change was −1.06 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 4.18 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations above 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 SH.STA.STNT.MA.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: UNICEF, WHO, World Bank: Joint child Malnutrition Estimates (JME). Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (adjusted, comparable data) and methodology., UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), note: Aggregation is based on UNICEF, WHO, and the World Bank harmonized dataset (a… 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.