Malnutrition Hits 30% Of Under Five Kids In Telangana: Report
The recent report highlights importance of balanced diets, regular health check-ups and government-led nutrition programmes to safeguard the health of children in Telangana.
Published : September 29, 2025 at 4:14 PM IST
Amaravati: Malnutrition continues to be a major health concern among children in Telangana, reveals a report released by the Ministry of Statistics and Programme Implementation (MoSPI).
According to the fourth issue of publication titled 'Children in India-2025' released during the 29th Conference of Central and State Statistical Organisations on September 25 in Chandigarh, 29.6 percent of five-year-old children in the state are underweight.
The number of underweight kids is higher in the rural areas compared to urban regions. For instance, rural areas have registered 31.4 percent underweight children compared to 25.1 percent in urban regions. The report highlights a slight gender disparity, with 29.2 percent of boys and 30.1 percent of girls suffering from malnutrition.
While malnutrition remains a pressing issue, a small proportion of children are also suffering from obesity. Around 2.8 percent boys and 2.6 percent girls are overweight with 2.6 percent children in rural areas and 3 percent in urban areas falling under this category.
Nutritional Deficiencies and Health Concerns
The report also points out the other health challenges experienced by children. Among children aged between 5 and 9 years, 10.6 percent suffer from iron deficiency, which rises to 15.2 percent among 10-19 year-olds. Stunting due to malnutrition is observed in 31.2 percent of five-year-old children while 16.1 percent are underweight.
Non-communicable health issues are emerging even in younger age groups. Among children aged 5 to 9, 5.1 percent are pre-diabetic and 0.5 percent are diabetic. Coming to adolescents, 4 percent aged 10 to 19 years are pre-diabetic.
High blood pressure is also being reported in 5.2 percent of 10 to 19-year-olds, indicating the growing impact of lifestyle and dietary changes among the youth.
Need for Action
Experts stress that these figures underline the urgent need for targeted nutritional interventions, especially in rural areas. Efforts such as iron and vitamin supplementation, regular health screenings, and awareness programmes for parents are crucial to improve child health indicators in the state.
The “Children in India-2025” report provides a critical snapshot of both malnutrition and emerging obesity trends, highlighting the importance of balanced diets, regular health check-ups, and government-led nutrition programmes to safeguard the health of Telangana’s children.
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