A key component of human capital is healthy and well-nourished people throughout their lives, but many children cannot access sufficient, safe nutritious food and a balanced diet that meets their needs for optimal growth and development, to enable an active and healthy life. Globally, it is estimated that 150.2 million children are stunted, 42.8 million are wasted, and 35.5 million are overweight (The Global Health Observatory, 2024[1]). Hence, many countries are facing a double burden of malnutrition – characterised by the coexistence of undernutrition along with overweight, obesity or diet related NCDs – a health challenge on the rise in many LAC countries. Child malnutrition also contributes to poorer cognitive and educational outcomes in later childhood and adolescence, which in turn affect lifelong potential and heavily determines the socio‑economic status of the individual.
The UN SDG target 2.2 aims to end all forms of malnutrition by 2030, including achieving, by 2025, the internationally agreed targets on stunting and wasting among children under five years of age, and includes an indicator on childhood overweight. Subsequently, in March 2025, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution to extend the UN Decade of Action on Nutrition from its original period of 2016-2025 to 2030, in recognition that the world is off track to end hunger and malnutrition by the original target date (United Nations, 2025[2]). This initiative aims to eradicate hunger, and malnutrition in all its forms (undernutrition, micronutrient deficiencies, overweight, or obesity) and reduce the burden of diet-related NCDs in all age groups.
Stunting rates in LAC are generally lower than in other world regions but it is still a significant problem in several countries. In average, 11.2% of children below five years of age are stunted in LAC27 (Figure 4.4). The rate is nearly 45% in Guatemala, 22% in Haiti and around 18% in Ecuador and Honduras, while is lowest in Chile and Saint Lucia below 3%. Wasting rates are also lower than in other regions with an average of 2.7% amongst children below five years of age, but Barbados, Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago have significantly higher rates than average being over 6%. The lowest rates are observed in Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Guatemala all below 1%.
Countries with higher stunting prevalence tend to have higher than average under‑5 mortality, reflecting the fact that about half of all deaths before the age of 5 can be attributed to malnutrition (Figure 4.5). Guatemala deviates significantly from the trend by having a stunting rate almost four times the LAC average and an under‑5 mortality rate 4 points over the LAC average. This is mainly due to the high poverty rate and large inequality in the country, which causes that half the population cannot afford the cost of the basic food basket. This adds to the effects of natural disasters and climate change that damages food production and contribute to food insecurity and malnutrition by reducing agricultural productivity and disrupting food systems (WFP, 2024[3]).
Childhood overweight and obesity is shaping up to be one of the most significant challenges of the century. In LAC27, the average prevalence of overweight amongst children under age 5 is above 8% (Figure 4.6). The highest rates are observed in Argentina and Paraguay having 12% or more, followed by Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Panama, Uruguay, and Cuba, where more than one child out of ten is overweight. In turn, rates are lower than 5% in Haiti and Suriname.
