India · Child Underweight, Under 5 (survey, %)
31.5%2020
Publisher note: National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-21: India. Mumbai: IIPS
Unit: percent of children under age 5. Publisher measure: Underweight prevalence among children under 5 years of age (% weight-for-age <-2 SD), survey-based estimates.
Weight-for-age below -2 SD, WHO country-level survey estimates, both sexes, no additional disaggregation; retain survey comments. Reference years are irregular survey labels; fieldwork windows were not supplied by the retained projection. Matching year labels do not prove matching collection periods.
Measurement basis: survey-based estimate; reference years are irregular.
Reference-period cadence: irregular survey reference years.
Displayed values are rounded, with extra precision when needed to keep a positive estimate positive. Downloads retain the full numeric estimate and the publisher's original display text separately.
A “<” sign means strictly below the stated number. Numeric readings and uncertainty endpoints keep their own comparison signs. A number without a sign does not establish certainty or an observed outcome.
World Health Organization (Global Health Observatory); retrieved 2026-09-07. Retrieval time is separate from an official publisher release vintage.
Download this immutable source capture · Source and coverage corrections
One row per country, indicator and year, with raw values, source links and reuse notices. Thresholds have an empty numeric value and separate number/operator fields; value_kind distinguishes upper bounds from absent readings.
History and uncertainty
Charts plot numeric readings. Reported upper bounds create gaps; their values, uncertainty endpoints and source notes remain available in the table and downloads.
Reported estimates and uncertainty · 10 rows
Each comparison sign applies to its own reading or uncertainty endpoint. Values retain source precision. “Not reported” identifies an absent reading or uncertainty endpoint in this source capture.
| Country | Year | Reading | Lower endpoint | Upper endpoint | Publisher note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| India | 1989 | 55.5 | Not reported | Not reported | National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau, 1988-90 (8 States pooled data). Hyderabad, India; 1993 Adjusted National-Rural to National; Converted estimate |
| India | 1991 | 52.8 | Not reported | Not reported | National Nutrition Monitoring Bureau, 1991-92 (8 States pooled data). Hyderabad, India; 1993 Adjusted National-Rural to National; Converted estimate |
| India | 1992 | 50.6 | 49.7 | 51.5 | National family health survey, India 1992-93. Demographic and Health Surveys. Bombay, India, 1995 Reduced age range |
| India | 1997 | 38.4 | Not reported | Not reported | Report of Second Repeat Survey - Rural (1996-1997). National Institute of Nutrition, Indian Council of Medical Research, Hyderabad - 1999. Adjusted National-Rural to National; Converted estimate |
| India | 1999 | 44.3 | 43.5 | 45.2 | National family health survey (NFHS-2) 1998-99. Demographic and Health Surveys. Mumbai, India, 2000 Reduced age range |
| India | 2006 | 43.5 | 42.7 | 44.3 | National family health survey (NFHS-3), 2005-06: India: Demographic and Health Surveys. Mumbai, India: IIPS, 2007 |
| India | 2014 | 29.4 | Not reported | Not reported | Rapid survey on children 2013-2014. Final Report |
| India | 2015 | 36.3 | 36 | 36.6 | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-4), 2015-16: India. Mumbai: IIPS. 2017 |
| India | 2017 | 33.8 | 32.6 | 35 | Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (CNNS) National Report. New Delhi |
| India | 2020 | 31.5 | 31.1 | 31.8 | National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), 2019-21: India. Mumbai: IIPS |
One row per country, indicator and year, with raw values, source links and reuse notices. Thresholds have an empty numeric value and separate number/operator fields; value_kind distinguishes upper bounds from absent readings.