A major report from UNICEF, the World Health Organization (WHO), and the World Bank Group reveals that child malnutrition remains a persistent threat to millions of children under five, with progress slowing or even reversing in many regions.
The Joint Malnutrition Estimates 2025 Edition, which compiles data from 2000 to 2024, highlights critical indicators such as stunting, wasting, and childhood overweight.
The findings present a troubling picture of global child health. According to the report, an estimated 150.2 million children under five are living with stunting, a condition that impairs physical growth and brain development.
Additionally, 42.8 million children suffer from wasting, the most life-threatening form of malnutrition, with 12.2 million experiencing severe wasting. The report also notes a worrying increase in childhood overweight, which now affects 35.5 million children globally—a rise of 2.4 million since 2000.
“After decades of progress, we are seeing a dangerous stagnation and even reversal in some child nutrition indicators,” the report warns.
Stunting remains most prevalent in Asia and Africa, which together account for 94% of all affected children.
Asia holds the largest share at 51%, followed by Africa at 43%. Africa is the only region where the number of stunted children has increased, rising from 61.7 million in 2012 to 64.8 million in 2024. Meanwhile, childhood overweight and obesity are emerging as rising threats, driven by unhealthy food environments and sedentary lifestyles.
The report also highlights significant gaps in data collection, especially in low-income regions, which hampers effective tracking and response efforts.
The agencies warn that without urgent and intensified global action, “the world risks losing an entire generation’s potential.” They call for sustained investments in nutrition, strengthened monitoring systems, and the creation of healthier food environments to reverse these trends and secure a healthier future for all children.
