Figures checked 1 November 2026
Election 2027: 16 Jan
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Nigerian states ranked by child stunting (malnutrition)

All 36 states and the FCT, 2024. Highest: Katsina at 64.6%. Lowest: Rivers at 12.3%. Nigeria overall: 39.5%, from 36.8% in 2018.

What this measures: Share of children under five whose height for age is more than two standard deviations below the reference median.

Every state, 2024

Darker means higher · lower is better
Abia: 20.2%Adamawa: 48.6%Akwa Ibom: 24.1%Anambra: 12.9%Bauchi: 61.7%Benue: 25.3%Borno: 40.9%Bayelsa: 27.6%Cross River: 21.0%Delta: 20.0%Ebonyi: 31.6%Edo: 13.6%Ekiti: 17.1%Enugu: 15.2%FCT, Abuja: 16.3%Gombe: 50.6%Imo: 17.3%Jigawa: 55.7%Kaduna: 40.7%Kebbi: 60.0%Kano: 51.9%Kogi: 34.6%Katsina: 64.6%Kwara: 40.8%Lagos: 17.3%Nasarawa: 35.0%Niger: 43.9%Ogun: 17.7%Ondo: 23.2%Osun: 30.5%Oyo: 23.1%Plateau: 46.4%Rivers: 12.3%Sokoto: 42.8%Taraba: 45.6%Yobe: 54.5%Zamfara: 64.2%
12.3%–17.3%17.3%–24.1%24.1%–40.8%40.8%–50.6%50.6%–64.6%
  1. 1Katsina64.6%
  2. 2Zamfara64.2%
  3. 3Bauchi61.7%
  4. 4Kebbi60.0%
  5. 5Jigawa55.7%
  6. 6Yobe54.5%
  7. 7Kano51.9%
  8. 8Gombe50.6%
  9. 9Adamawa48.6%
  10. 10Plateau46.4%
  11. 11Taraba45.6%
  12. 12Niger43.9%
  13. 13Sokoto42.8%
  14. 14Borno40.9%
  15. 15Kwara40.8%
  16. 16Kaduna40.7%
  17. 17Nasarawa35.0%
  18. 18Kogi34.6%
  19. 19Ebonyi31.6%
  20. 20Osun30.5%
  21. 21Bayelsa27.6%
  22. 22Benue25.3%
  23. 23Akwa Ibom24.1%
  24. 24Ondo23.2%
  25. 25Oyo23.1%
  26. 26Cross River21.0%
  27. 27Abia20.2%
  28. 28Delta20.0%
  29. 29Ogun17.7%
  30. 30Imo17.3%
  31. 31Lagos17.3%
  32. 32Ekiti17.1%
  33. 33FCT, Abuja16.3%
  34. 34Enugu15.2%
  35. 35Edo13.6%
  36. 36Anambra12.9%
  37. 37Rivers12.3%

Black line: Nigeria overall, 39.5%.

Source: The DHS Program (ICF), with the National Population Commission · Nigeria Demographic and Health Survey (DHS Program API) · CN_NUTS_C_HA2 · version 3, published 2 Nov 2026 · DHS-TERMS, no commercial reuse without permission

Change since 2018

19 of 37 states improved between the 2018 and 2024 surveys.

Most improved

  1. Sokoto54.8% → 42.8%−12.0 pts
  2. Oyo34.5% → 23.1%−11.4 pts
  3. Ogun26.6% → 17.7%−8.9 pts
  4. Jigawa64.0% → 55.7%−8.3 pts
  5. Kaduna48.1% → 40.7%−7.4 pts
Every state: 2024 value and rank, 2018 value and rank, and the change
RankState20242018ChangeRank change
1Katsina64.6%60.5%+4.1 pts▲ 2
2Zamfara64.2%50.8%+13.4 pts▲ 7
3Bauchi61.7%54.7%+7.0 pts▲ 4
4Kebbi60.0%66.1%−6.1 pts▼ 3
5Jigawa55.7%64.0%−8.3 pts▼ 3
6Yobe54.5%57.2%−2.7 pts▼ 2
7Kano51.9%56.9%−5.0 pts▼ 2
8Gombe50.6%51.2%−0.6 ptssame
9Adamawa48.6%39.7%+8.9 pts▲ 5
10Plateau46.4%44.7%+1.7 pts▲ 2
11Taraba45.6%41.9%+3.7 pts▲ 2
12Niger43.9%28.2%+15.7 pts▲ 6
13Sokoto42.8%54.8%−12.0 pts▼ 7
14Borno40.9%45.1%−4.2 pts▼ 3
15Kwara40.8%32.9%+7.9 pts▲ 1
16Kaduna40.7%48.1%−7.4 pts▼ 6
17Nasarawa35.0%31.4%+3.6 ptssame
18Kogi34.6%20.0%+14.6 pts▲ 12
19Ebonyi31.6%25.2%+6.4 pts▲ 1
20Osun30.5%23.7%+6.8 pts▲ 3
21Bayelsa27.6%24.9%+2.7 ptssame
22Benue25.3%20.8%+4.5 pts▲ 6
23Akwa Ibom24.1%19.6%+4.5 pts▲ 8
24Ondo23.2%20.4%+2.8 pts▲ 5
25Oyo23.1%34.5%−11.4 pts▼ 10
26Cross River21.0%22.9%−1.9 pts▼ 2
27Abia20.2%22.2%−2.0 pts▼ 2
28Delta20.0%23.7%−3.7 pts▼ 6
29Ogun17.7%26.6%−8.9 pts▼ 10
30Imo17.3%17.6%−0.3 pts▲ 2
31Lagos17.3%17.2%+0.1 pts▲ 2
32Ekiti17.1%22.1%−5.0 pts▼ 6
33FCT, Abuja16.3%21.2%−4.9 pts▼ 6
34Enugu15.2%14.8%+0.4 pts▲ 2
35Edo13.6%16.0%−2.4 ptssame
36Anambra12.9%14.0%−1.1 pts▲ 1
37Rivers12.3%16.8%−4.5 pts▼ 3

Rank 1 is the highest value. Survey figures are estimates from a sample of households, so small differences between states may not be meaningful.

More state rankings

All rankings →
Literacy, womenLiteracy, menHomes with electricityChild vaccinationBirths in a facilityUnder-5 mortalityFertility rate

Full history and definition: Children under 5 who are stunted (%).