South Africa · Child Stunting, Under 5 (survey, %)
21.3%2017
Publisher note: South Africa National Income Dynamics Study 2017, Wave 5 Reduced age range; Height/length modality (standing/lying) was not collected
Unit: percent of children under age 5. Publisher measure: Stunting prevalence among children under 5 years of age (% height-for-age <-2 SD), survey-based estimates.
Height-for-age below -2 SD, WHO country-level survey estimates, both sexes, no additional disaggregation; not model-based annual interpolation. 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 · 6 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| South Africa | 1994 | 28.7 | Not reported | Not reported | Children aged 6 to 71 months in South Africa, 1994: their anthropometric, vitamin A, iron and immunisation coverage status. Johannesburg, South Africa, 1995 Converted estimate |
| South Africa | 1999 | 30.1 | Not reported | Not reported | The National Food Consumption Survey (NFCS): South Africa, 1999. Public Health Nutrition 2005;8:533-43 Age-adjusted; Converted estimate |
| South Africa | 2008 | 25 | 22.1 | 28 | South Africa 2008 National Income Dynamics Survey Reduced age range; Height/length modality (standing/lying) was not collected |
| South Africa | 2015 | 21.2 | 19 | 23.6 | South Africa National Income Dynamics Study 2014-15, Wave 4 Reduced age range; Height/length modality (standing/lying) was not collected |
| South Africa | 2016 | 27.4 | 24.3 | 30.7 | South Africa Demographic and Health Survey 2016. Pretoria, South Africa, and Rockville, Maryland, USA: NDoH, Stats SA, SAMRC, and ICF |
| South Africa | 2017 | 21.3 | 18.7 | 24.2 | South Africa National Income Dynamics Study 2017, Wave 5 Reduced age range; Height/length modality (standing/lying) was not collected |
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.