More than 140 million children under five suffered from stunting in 2020. This highlights the ongoing challenge of addressing childhood malnutrition globally. We utilized data from a nationally representative sample of children under five years of age (n?=?14,151) who participated in five cycles of the South African National Income Dynamics Study (SA-NIDS) (2008–2017). We estimated the proportion of stunted children attributed to the mothers’ anthropometric characteristics and socioeconomic conditions. We also quantified the population-level burden of low-socioeconomic conditions on hunger/food insecurity among pregnant women (n?=?22,814) who participated in the nine rounds of the South African General Household Surveys (GHS) (2008–2021). Results from weighted-multivariate logistic regression were incorporated into the population-level impacts of correlates of stunting and low-socioeconomic conditions. The prevalence of stunting declined from 25% in 2008 to 23% in 2017. Mothers’ anthropometric measures (underweight/height?<?160 cm), marital status, low education, absence of medical insurance and low-socioeconomic conditions were all identified as the most influential risk factors for stunting. Their population-level impacts on stunting increased substantially from 34% (in 2008) to 65% (in 2017). Comprehensive strategies emphasizing enhanced food security, extended breastfeeding, appropriate nutrition, and access to adequate healthcare and education are urgently needed to reduce the burden of food insecurity low-socioeconomic, malnutrition, and its long-term consequences.