2016, West Sulawesi Has the Highest Rate of Child Stunting

The 2016 Nutritional Status Monitoring (PSG) survey by the Ministry of Health showed that West Sulawesi had the highest rate of stunted babies (height below standard/short). The survey found that 39.7 percent of babies aged 0-59 months in the province with its capital city in Kendari suffered from malnutrition, resulting in below-standard heights for toddlers (children under five years old). This figure comprises 14.7 percent of babies with very short stature and 25 percent of short babies.

East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) had the second highest percentage of stunted babies at 38.7 percent, consisting of 15 percent of babies with very short stature and 23.7 percent of short babies. Fourteen provinces had a percentage of stunted babies above the national average, while 20 provinces were below the national stunting rate.

The PSG survey found that 27.5 percent of babies in Indonesia experienced stunting. This comprised 8.5 percent of babies with very short stature and 19 percent of babies with short stature. The first 1,000 days of a baby's life, from conception, is a golden age for growth and development. Unfortunately, many Indonesian children experience malnutrition during their early years.