Table 1 Percentage distribution of children according to background characteristics in selected South Asian countries

Child age in month

 00–12

20.97

21.21

20.93

20.16

21.09

 13–24

20.02

20.95

19.92

20.50

19.79

 25–36

20.00

20.37

19.99

18.94

19.90

 37–48

20.52

19.79

20.86

20.19

19.77

 49–60

18.49

17.70

18.30

20.21

19.44

Place of residence

 Urban

28.97

25.41

28.05

53.96

31.93

 Rural

71.03

74.59

71.95

46.04

68.07

Educational attainment mother

 No education

32.38

16.41

30.06

34.25

49.35

 Primary

16.21

27.98

14.05

20.14

16.63

 Secondary

40.60

46.29

45.41

31.95

21.45

 Higher

10.81

9.32

10.48

13.66

12.57

Sex of household H

 Male

88.08

91.33

87.74

71.19

88.95

 Female

11.92

8.67

12.26

28.81

11.05

Source of drinking water

 Piped water

31.12

8.80

35.76

42.34

26.68

 Tubewell/borewell

51.02

79.60

45.16

41.84

55.91

 Protected well

2.11

0.18

2.55

0.62

1.82

 Unprotected well

3.32

0.45

4.44

1.03

1.30

 River/dam/springs

2.12

1.55

1.44

4.16

4.64

 Others

10.31

9.42

10.65

10.02

9.65

Type of fuel used for cooking

 Clean

31.99

14.67

32.10

23.11

42.25

 Wood

43.79

47.35

42.50

59.56

44.80

 Crop residual

7.82

21.81

6.97

2.84

3.27

 Animal dung

8.27

6.65

9.77

6.70

4.15

 Others

8.13

9.52

8.65

7.79

5.53

Type of toilet facilities

 Flush toilet

46.43

16.13

42.33

62.56

76.36

 Pit latrine

13.24

68.53

6.53

8.49

5.53

 Open

33.12

2.74

44.10

19.95

13.51

 Other

7.21

12.59

7.04

9.23

4.60

Wealth quintile

 Poorest

24.48

22.71

25.36

21.39

22.70

 Poorer

21.27

19.15

21.98

21.19

20.05

 Middle

20.10

19.36

19.83

22.16

20.75

 Richer

18.54

19.81

18.12

20.48

19.06

 Richest

15.71

18.98

14.70

14.78

17.44

Total (N)

100(285,259)

100(7,886)

100(259,627)

100(5,038)

100(12,708)