Poor nutrition and a stalled rise in height
Indian men born in 1896 were slightly taller on average than Chinese men. A century later, Chinese men were almost 7 cm taller. Nearly three in ten young Indian children are stunted, and almost a third of adolescents lack vitamin B12.
Open for ideas, evidence and questions.
What we know
NCD Risk Factor Collaboration estimates put Indian men born in 1896 at 162.0 cm on average and Chinese men at 161.0 cm. For those born in 1996 the averages were 164.9 cm and 171.8 cm. Over the same century Indian women gained 4.6 cm and Chinese women 9.6 cm. Changes in average height over generations mostly reflect nutrition and illness in childhood.
Anganwadis have fed young children and mothers since 1975. NFHS-6 (fieldwork 2023-24, provisional results May 2026) found 29.3% of children under five stunted, down from 35.5% in NFHS-5. It dropped the anaemia indicators. NFHS-5 had found 57% of women aged 15-49 and 67% of young children anaemic.
The Comprehensive National Nutrition Survey (2016-18) found vitamin B12 deficiency in 31% of adolescents, 17% of school-age children and 14% of preschool children. B12 comes mainly from milk, eggs, fish and meat.
Average protein intake was about 62 g a day in 2023-24 (NSO). ICMR's requirement is 0.83 g per kg of body weight, about 54 g for a 65 kg adult. Cereals supply nearly half of the protein in rural diets, cereal protein is less complete than protein from pulses, milk, eggs or meat, and averages hide families that eat far less.
Open questions
- What do children at your nearest anganwadi and in the school midday meal get each week, such as eggs, milk or pulses?
- Fortified rice in ration shops carries iron, folic acid and vitamin B12. Has anyone measured whether it changed deficiency levels?
- Why did NFHS-6 drop anaemia, and when will it next be measured nationally?
- What happened to children's growth in states that added eggs or milk to school meals?
- How many children in your district are stunted, and how has that changed since NFHS-5?
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