To examine the height-for-age z-score (HAZ) of 0–35 months’ children along with stunting prevalence to identify trends, changes and available nutrition-sensitive and specific determinants that could help explain the long-term variation in child linear growth using successive Bangladesh Demographic and Health Surveys (BDHS) data from 1996 to 2018.

The BDHS pooled data are used for determining the key outcome variables HAZ, stunting and severe stunting. Trends, kernel-weighted local polynomial smoothing illustrations, pooled multivariable linear probability model (LPM), ordinary least squares method (OLS) and regression decomposition were used.

Mothers having 0–35 months’ children, the most critical age range for growth faltering.

The mean HAZ increased by 0·91(±1·53) with 0·041 annual average change, while the percentages of stunting (–26·63 ± 0·54) and severe stunting (–21·12 ± 0·48) showed a reduction with 1·21 and 0·96 average annual changes, respectively. The average HAZ improvement (0·42 ± 1·56) in urban areas was less than the rural areas (1·16 ± 1·44). Similar patterns followed for stunting and severe stunting. The prenatal doctor visits (3064·65 %), birth in a medical facility (1054·32 %), breastfeeding initiation (153·18 %) and asset index (144·73 %) demonstrated a huge change. The findings of OLS, LPM and regression decomposition identified asset index, birth order, paternal and maternal education, bottle-fed, prenatal doctor visit, birth in a medical facility, vaccination, maternal BMI and ever-breastfed as influencing factors to predict the long-term changes of stunting and severe stunting.

The nutrition-sensitive and specific factors identified through regression decomposition describing long-term variation in child linear growth should be focused further to attain the sustainable development goals.