Early initiation of breastfeeding by country
Countries reporting
56
Highest
93
Turkmenistan
Lowest
23.45
Vietnam
Median
54.35
Years covered
34
1991–2024
Data points
382
What the numbers show
Early initiation of breastfeeding is currently reported for 56 countries. The highest value is 93 in Turkmenistan; the lowest is 23.45 in Vietnam.
The median across all reporting countries is 54.35, and the mean is 56.07.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 4.
Over the past decade 38 countries rose and 18 fell. The largest increase was in Cameroon (up 146.9%), and the largest decrease in Benin (down 50.2%).
Early initiation of breastfeeding: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Turkmenistan | 93 | 2022 | up 26.7% | rising |
| 2 | Burundi | 89.3 | 2024 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 3 | Sierra Leone | 88.37 | 2021 | up 98.0% | rising |
| 4 | Rwanda | 85.34 | 2020 | up 19.7% | rising |
| 5 | Kazakhstan | 83.29 | 2015 | up 29.7% | volatile |
| 6 | Uganda | 81.5 | 2022 | up 55.2% | rising |
| 7 | Bolivia | 79.47 | 2023 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 8 | Mozambique | 77.1 | 2022 | up 0.5% | flat |
| 9 | Kyrgyzstan | 73.22 | 2023 | down 12.6% | rising |
| 10 | Ethiopia | 71.98 | 2019 | up 39.7% | rising |
| 11 | Mongolia | 71.9 | 2023 | up 1.1% | flat |
| 12 | Turkey | 71.3 | 2018 | up 82.8% | rising |
| 13 | Niger | 70.7 | 2022 | up 33.5% | rising |
| 14 | Tanzania | 70.2 | 2022 | up 55.8% | rising |
| 15 | Colombia | 68.53 | 2016 | up 15.8% | rising |
| 16 | Zambia | 68 | 2024 | up 3.5% | rising |
| 17 | Zimbabwe | 67.4 | 2024 | up 14.5% | rising |
| 18 | Lesotho | 67.14 | 2024 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 19 | Madagascar | 66.1 | 2024 | up 0.5% | rising |
| 20 | Mexico | 62.51 | 2023 | up 61.5% | rising |
| 21 | Central African Republic | 62.5 | 2022 | up 43.7% | rising |
| 22 | Malawi | 60.34 | 2020 | down 35.6% | flat |
| 23 | Burkina Faso | 60.3 | 2021 | up 43.1% | rising |
| 24 | Kenya | 60.13 | 2022 | down 3.4% | rising |
| 25 | Indonesia | 58.2 | 2018 | up 44.9% | volatile |
| 26 | Ghana | 58.16 | 2022 | up 26.8% | rising |
| 27 | Mauritania | 55.54 | 2020 | down 0.4% | rising |
| 28 | Nepal | 54.62 | 2022 | up 22.6% | rising |
| 29 | Philippines | 54.09 | 2022 | up 8.8% | rising |
| 30 | Cambodia | 54 | 2021 | down 17.9% | volatile |
| 31 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 53.21 | 2023 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 32 | Guatemala | 52.8 | 2021 | down 4.9% | rising |
| 33 | Ecuador | 49.13 | 2024 | down 10.0% | rising |
| 34 | Peru | 48.39 | 2024 | down 10.6% | falling |
| 35 | Cameroon | 48.38 | 2018 | up 146.9% | rising |
| 36 | Togo | 48.32 | 2017 | up 34.9% | rising |
| 37 | Haiti | 48 | 2023 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 38 | Chad | 47.16 | 2022 | up 64.2% | rising |
| 39 | East Timor | 46.95 | 2020 | down 41.2% | flat |
| 40 | Eswatini | 46.67 | 2021 | down 14.3% | falling |
| 41 | Mali | 45.47 | 2024 | down 14.6% | rising |
| 42 | Laos | 44.87 | 2023 | up 14.9% | rising |
| 43 | Cote d'Ivoire | 42.33 | 2021 | up 37.4% | rising |
| 44 | Dominican Republic | 41.58 | 2019 | down 31.2% | falling |
| 45 | India | 41.42 | 2020 | up 79.0% | rising |
| 46 | Senegal | 38.14 | 2023 | up 18.9% | rising |
| 47 | Bangladesh | 36.93 | 2022 | down 20.9% | rising |
| 48 | Nigeria | 35.53 | 2024 | up 7.1% | rising |
| 49 | Gambia | 35.48 | 2020 | down 31.1% | falling |
| 50 | El Salvador | 34.4 | 2021 | up 4.9% | rising |
| 51 | Jordan | 33.77 | 2023 | up 82.0% | rising |
| 52 | Egypt | 32.9 | 2021 | down 38.8% | falling |
| 53 | Thailand | 29.43 | 2022 | down 36.4% | falling |
| 54 | Guinea | 25.8 | 2022 | up 55.9% | rising |
| 55 | Benin | 25.14 | 2021 | down 50.2% | falling |
| 56 | Vietnam | 23.45 | 2020 | down 40.9% | falling |