2.2.1 Prevalence of stunting among children under 5 years of age, by mother's (care-giver) education level


Metadata
Period: Every four years
Year: 2025


METADATA
Indicator information
Definition and methodology
Data source type and data collection method
Notes
ID of global indicator
Metadata update
Global metadata

Indicator informationTop
Indicator

2.2.1 Prevalence of stunting among children under 5 years of age, by mother's (care-giver) education level

Global indicator name

2.2.1 Prevalence of stunting (height for age <-2 standard deviation from the median of the World Health Organization (WHO) Child Growth Standards) among children under 5 years of age

Target

2.2 By 2030, end all forms of malnutrition, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting in children under 5 years of age, and address the nutritional needs of adolescent girls, pregnant and lactating women and older persons

Goal

Goal 2. End hunger, achieve food security and improved nutrition and promote sustainable agriculture


Definition and methodologyTop
Definition

Children up to 5 years whose height for age is more than 2 standard deviations below the median of the reference population (-2 SD and less) in relation to the overall number of children belonging to this age group.

Height for age is a measure of linear growth.

Children whose height for age is more than two standard deviations below the median of the reference population are considered short for their age and are classified as moderately or severely stunted (-2 SD and less), while those who fall more than three standard deviations below the median (-3 SD and less) are severely stunted.

Methodological explanations

The Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) is a global survey conducted by UNICEF.

The MICS is designed to provide statistical insights and internationally comparable data on key social indicators and is moderated to the most vulnerable segments of the population: women, children and the vulnerable and marginalized.

The results of this survey constitute one of the most important databases, and for many indicators related to the health, development and education of children, youth and women.


The MICS Serbia surveys are based on a representative sample of households, women and children and were conducted throughout the territory of Serbia, except for the territory of Kosovo and Metohija.

The survey data are:


a) The MICS 2010 (MICS IV) survey also included men aged 15 to 29. The data refer to the period November-December 2010. As a special sample, the survey included 1800 households in Roma settlements.


b) MICS 2014 (MICS V) data refer to the period from February 1 to April 30, 2014. As a special sample, the survey included 1976 households in Roma settlements.


c) MICS 2019 (MICS VI) data refer to the period September-December 2019. As a special sample, the survey included 1934 households in Roma settlements.

 

Method of calculation

Number of children up to 5 years whose height for age is more than 2 standard deviations below the median of the reference population (-2 SD and less) is divided by the overall number of children belonging to this age group.


Observation unit are children up to five years of age. In a well-nourished population, there is a standard distribution of height and weight for children under age five.

Undernourishment in a population can be gauged by comparing children to this standard distribution.

Each of the three nutritional status indicators is expressed in standard deviation units (z-scores) from the median of the reference population.

The reference population in MICS IV survey and later is based on new WHO growth standards.

For more information, please see http://www.who.int/childgrowth/standards/second_set/technical_report_2.pdf

Unit of measure

%

Available disaggregation

Education Level

Territorial level

Republic of Serbia


Data source type and data collection methodTop
Data source

Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS)

Periodicity of data collection

Every four years


NotesTop

ID of global indicatorTop

C020201


Metadata updateTop
26/5/2025

Global metadataTop

https://unstats.un.org/sdgs/metadata/files/Metadata-02-02-01.pdf