Infant health: low birthweight in Belgium
Belgium: Infant health: low birthweight was 6.4 Percentage of live births in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
6.4 Percentage of live births
Change on year
down 3.0%
World rank
30th
of 41 countries
All-time high
7.3 Percentage of live births
in 2001
All-time low
5.4 Percentage of live births
in 1983
Years of data
40
1982–2023
Infant health: low birthweight in Belgium, 1982–2023
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of live births.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 6.4 Percentage of live births for infant health: low birthweight in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.0% on the previous year and down 8.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant health: low birthweight in Belgium peaked at 7.3 Percentage of live births in 2001 and was at its lowest, 5.4 Percentage of live births, in 1983.
That places Belgium 30th out of 41 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Infant health: low birthweight in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Percentage of live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1982 | 5.6 Percentage of live births | — |
| 1983 | 5.4 Percentage of live births | -3.6% |
| 1986 | 6.1 Percentage of live births | +13.0% |
| 1987 | 6.1 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 6.1 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 6.2 Percentage of live births | +1.6% |
| 1990 | 6.1 Percentage of live births | -1.6% |
| 1991 | 6.2 Percentage of live births | +1.6% |
| 1992 | 6.2 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 6.4 Percentage of live births | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 6.6 Percentage of live births | +3.1% |
| 1995 | 6.8 Percentage of live births | +3.0% |
| 1996 | 6.8 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 7 Percentage of live births | +2.9% |
| 1998 | 6.9 Percentage of live births | -1.4% |
| 1999 | 7 Percentage of live births | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 7 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 7.3 Percentage of live births | +4.3% |
| 2002 | 7.3 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 7.3 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 6.9 Percentage of live births | -5.5% |
| 2005 | 7 Percentage of live births | +1.4% |
| 2006 | 7.1 Percentage of live births | +1.4% |
| 2007 | 6.8 Percentage of live births | -4.2% |
| 2008 | 6.9 Percentage of live births | +1.5% |
| 2009 | 7 Percentage of live births | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 6.9 Percentage of live births | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 6.8 Percentage of live births | -1.4% |
| 2012 | 6.8 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 7 Percentage of live births | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 6.9 Percentage of live births | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 6.8 Percentage of live births | -1.4% |
| 2016 | 6.7 Percentage of live births | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 6.8 Percentage of live births | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 6.8 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 6.7 Percentage of live births | -1.5% |
| 2020 | 6.4 Percentage of live births | -4.5% |
| 2021 | 6.5 Percentage of live births | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 6.6 Percentage of live births | +1.5% |
| 2023 | 6.4 Percentage of live births | -3.0% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 6.4 Percentage of live births is below the median for high income countries, which is 6.85 Percentage of live births, 93% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 6.4 Percentage of live births is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.6 Percentage of live births, 97% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5.92 Percentage of live births | 5.4 Percentage of live births | 6.2 Percentage of live births | 6 |
| 1990s | 6.6 Percentage of live births | 6.1 Percentage of live births | 7 Percentage of live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.06 Percentage of live births | 6.8 Percentage of live births | 7.3 Percentage of live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.82 Percentage of live births | 6.7 Percentage of live births | 7 Percentage of live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.47 Percentage of live births | 6.4 Percentage of live births | 6.6 Percentage of live births | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 27 Australia 6.6 Percentage of live births compare
- 27 Czechia 6.6 Percentage of live births compare
- 27 Germany 6.6 Percentage of live births compare
- 31 Ukraine 6.3 Percentage of live births compare
- 32 Luxembourg 6.1 Percentage of live births compare
- 33 Switzerland 6 Percentage of live births compare
- 33 Ireland 6 Percentage of live births compare
More health data for Belgium
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -3.28 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2923 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,160 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 59 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.11 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0229 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -1.96 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is infant health: low birthweight in Belgium?
- Infant health: low birthweight in Belgium was 6.4 Percentage of live births in 2023, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest infant health: low birthweight recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 7.3 Percentage of live births in 2001.
- What is the lowest infant health: low birthweight recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.4 Percentage of live births in 1983.
- How does Belgium rank for infant health: low birthweight?
- Belgium ranks 30th out of 41 countries with data for 2023.
- Is infant health: low birthweight rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Infant health: low birthweight. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
This dataset presents time series on the number of live births weighing less than 2500 grams as a percentage of the total number of live births. Please refer to the Sources and Methods for detailed country-specific information.