Despite India's economic success, malnutrition is still an important public health problem. Malnutrition isestimated to contribute to more than one third of the all child deaths. Proper nutrition of children leading to adequate growthand good health is essential and foundation for human development. The present study was conducted during 2016-17toexamine the socio-economic factors which determines the under five malnutrition in Raichur district of Karnataka. Thirtyanganawadi centres were selected from two talukas of Raichur district. From each anganawadi centre,six childrenviz.normal, moderate and severely malnourished were selected by followingGomez classification. Mothers of respectivechildren were the respondents for the study who constituted a total size of 180. The results revealed that severelymalnourished children belonged to the families where mothers had low education level, and one third of severely malnourishedchildren families were belonged to schedule tribe (33.33 %), followed by schedule caste (28.33 %).Women in the agriculturallabourer category had more number of severely malnourished children (56.66 %) followed by house wives (43.33 %).About50 per cent of the severely malnourished children's fathers were agricultural labourers followed by 45 per cent who wereagriculturists. Majority of the severely malnourished children families had low income level. It could be concluded from thestudy that low income level, low education level, lower caste, low social participation of severely malnourished childrenwerethe most important socio-economic factors for perpetuation of undernutrition in the rural families. It is inferred thatmalnutrition is one of the menaces which hinders the overall growth and development of children and it must be curbed bycreating an awareness programmes among rural women folk by the involving of Government, NGOs and people's participation.