This story was originally published in The Jakarta Post on February 7.  

Indonesia has made remarkable progress in reducing stunting, from 30.8 percent in 2018 to 19.8 percent in 2024, according to national health surveys. This 11-point decline in just six years has brought to Indonesia US$10 billion economic gains through 9,300 fewer child deaths, 5.3 million fewer IQ points lost, and 854,000 fewer school years lost per year1,
positioning Indonesia among the fastest improving countries globally. It echoes Peru’s success story, which halved stunting from 29 percent in 2007 to 14 percent in 2014.

This progress is far more than a health achievement. It means that fewer children are starting life at a disadvantage, and more are gaining the physical and cognitive foundations
they need to thrive and contribute meaningfully to society. It reflects meaningful gains in human capital and economic growth.

As Indonesia continues to advance its National Strategy for Stunting Reduction and with broader commitments to the Sustainable Development Goals and Nutrition for Growth
targets in sight, the country must maintain momentum and safeguard this hard-won progress.

Why stunting matters beyond health

Stunting is not just a health issue. Studies show that children affected by stunting are more likely to face limitations in learning outcomes, workforce readiness, and productivity across their lives. At a national level, this constrains the country’s long-term competitiveness and development ambitions.

Today, more than 4.5 million Indonesian children under the age of five remain stunted, representing nearly one-fifth of all young children. According to Nutrition International’s
Cost of Inaction Tool, stunting contributes to 26,000 preventable deaths each year. The economic impact of stunting is profound too, causing an estimated $29 billion annually
(or more than 490 trillion rupiah). These losses include more than 2.4 million school years forgone and an estimated 15 million IQ points lost every year. Prioritizing stunting is
therefore not optional.

The government of Indonesia has been committed to prioritizing nutrition outcomes in its public health efforts, and this experience of stunting reduction shows that it’s possible when committed to as a shared priority across sectors and communities.

Progress at scale

Indonesia’s progress in reducing stunting at scale reflects a clear strategy, strong leadership, and consistent coordination from national policy to village-level action. This approach
embedded stunting reduction as a priority across health, education, social protection, village development, and food systems, creating the conditions for results to take shape.

At the local level, provincial, district, and community actors adapted Stranas Stunting 2018-2024 policies to fit their realities, ensuring targeted interventions reached children, pregnant women, and adolescent girls who needed them most. For example, the Better Investment for Stunting Alleviation (BISA) project, implemented by Nutrition International and Save the Children in 2019, supported in adapting the national policies to local levels by developing the capacity of local leaders to plan, budget, and strengthen stakeholder coordination.

Long-term technical partnerships have also helped translate policy into sustained results.

Since 2006, Nutrition International has worked alongside national and subnational
governments to support the implementation of evidence-based, low-cost, and high-impact nutrition interventions that directly contribute to reducing stunting in Indonesia. Examples
include maternal and child health, early and exclusive breastfeeding, treating anaemia and severe malnutrition, micronutrient supplementation, and promoting a healthy, diverse diet.

What it will take to sustain progress

Indonesia is entering a new chapter in its fight against stunting. The upcoming draft Presidential Regulation on Stunting, and the creation of the National Nutrition Agency signal a strong national commitment. At the same time, the government has set an ambitious target to reduce stunting further to 14.2 percent by 2029.

Reaching this goal will require sustained political commitment, strong coordination across sectors, increased investment in nutrition programs, and effective delivery at scale. While
structures and mandates may change, the fundamentals of success must remain constant. Coordination across government remains central. Government agencies and ministries must continue integrating nutrition-specific interventions into their action plans, ensuring alignment from national planning down to frontline service delivery. At the grassroots level,
providing regular opportunities for the Stunting Reduction Acceleration Team to share information, coordinate interventions, and build collective capacity can help ensure that
national priorities translate into tangible outcomes for households and communities.

Partnerships beyond government are equally important. From the private sector to the civil society organizations, all have a role to keep nutrition high on the public agenda through
nutrition financing, advocacy, community engagement, accountability, and targeted support for children, women, and adolescents.

Indonesia’s journey in reducing stunting shows what can be achieved when leadership, evidence, and collaboration align. The country’s national goals, from its medium-term
development priorities to its Golden Indonesia 2045 vision, ultimately depend on ensuring today’s children grow up healthy, well-nourished, and ready to contribute to society.
Investing in nutrition is therefore an investment in Indonesia’s future competitiveness, resilience, and shared prosperity.

Share