In Laos, 1 in 3 children has stunted growth despite surplus rice

In some poorer areas, stunting is even more prevalent. Experts say a lack of dietary diversity is a big part of the problem

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Health volunteers screen children for acute malnutrition in a village in Taoy, Saravan, Laos. Photo: Unicef

Published: 8:00am, 24 Mar 2025Updated: 3:27pm, 24 Mar 2025

Laos is facing worsening child malnutrition, with experts warning that the country’s economic challenges and underfunding for agriculture are contributing to the crisis, leaving thousands of children at risk of experiencing stunted growth and other serious health complications.

At the 10th National Nutrition Forum in Vientiane, speakers from global agencies and academia said there was a need for comprehensive measures to tackle the crisis, as failure to do so would hurt the Laotian economy.

“Adequate nutrition is essential for a child’s growth, intelligence and future earnings,” Alexander Kremer, the World Bank’s country manager in Laos, said at the forum on Tuesday. “Unfortunately, Laos faces extremely high rates of childhood malnutrition.”

Deputy Prime Minister Kikeo Khaykhamphithoune said it was “important that we build on our past progress and recommit ourselves to ensuring every woman and child” in Laos had access to good nutrition “so they can thrive and fully contribute towards the nation’s development”.

Despite years of efforts to tackle the problem, Laos continues to struggle with alarming levels of childhood malnutrition.

Stunted growth due to a chronic lack of nutrition affected nearly one in every three children under the age of five in Laos as of 2023, according to data from the Lao Social Indicator Survey. About 10.7 per cent of Laotian children were classified as wasting, meaning they were dangerously thin for their height, while 24.3 per cent of them were underweight for their age.