Socioeconomic inequality in malnutrition in developing countries

The objectives of this study were to report on socioeconomic inequality in childhood malnutrition in the developing world, to provide evidence for an association between socioeconomic inequality and the average level of malnutrition, and to draw attention to different patterns of socioeconomic inequality in malnutrition.

The study reveals that stunting and wasting disproportionately affected the poor. However, socioeconomic inequality in wasting was limited and was not significant in about one third of countries. There was no clear association either between average stunting and socioeconomic inequality.

The latter showed different patterns:

• mass deprivation (a majority of the population is affected by stunting, a minority is protected)
• queuing (less people are affected, but the rich are still more protected)
• exclusion (a minority is affected).

Socioeconomic inequality in childhood malnutrition existed throughout the developing world, and was not related to the average malnutrition rate. Reducing the overall rate of malnutrition does not necessarily lead to a reduction in inequality. Policies should, therefore, take into account the distribution of childhood malnutrition across all socioeconomic groups.

 WHO - April 2008