Abstract: This research aimed to investigate the distal and proximate risk factors of stunting and severe stunting children in rural areas in Indonesia. This cross-sectional study used pooled data Riskesdas 2007, 2010 and 2013. A total of 18.225 children aged 0-59 months were observed. The multivariate analysis used STATA-13. The proximate risk factors stunting linked to stunting and severe stunting were older age of children (OR: 1.75, CI95% 1.59-1.87 and 1.22 CI95% 1.13-1.32); Low Birth Weight (LBW) (OR1.46 CI95% 1.24-1.72 and 1.31 CI95% 1.11-1.55); short mother (OR 1.64 CI95% 1.51-1.77 and OR 1.44 CI95% 1.33-1.55), short father (OR 1.35 CI 95% 1.24-1.46 and OR 1.33, CI95% 1.23-1.44). The distal risk factors stunting linked to low and middle economic (OR 1.33 CI95% 1.21-1.46) and 1.25 CI95% 1.11-1.39), and bad WASH (OR 1.45 CI95% 1.12-1.87), while the severe stunting linked to number of household member >9 (OR 1.67 CI95% 1.07-2.56), low middle economic (OR 1.13 CI95% 1.01-1.22 and OR 1.35 CI95% 1.23-1.48), mother occupation (non formal OR: 1.26, CI95% 1.11-1.58). The proximate risk factors of stunting and severe stunting children in rural areas were older age children, LBW and short paternale. Whereas the distal risk factors of stunting children were low and middle economic incomes, water and sanitation hygiene (WASH). Keywords: stunting, severe stunting, children, rural, Indonesia