Infant health: low birthweight in China
China: Infant health: low birthweight was 5 Percentage of live births in 2020. ▼ Falling
Infant health: low birthweight in China, 2000–2020
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of live births.
Analysis
In 2020, infant health: low birthweight in China stood at 5 Percentage of live births. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.
The figure is down 3.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant health: low birthweight in China peaked at 5.7 Percentage of live births in 2000 and was at its lowest, 5 Percentage of live births, in 2015.
That places China 36th out of 41 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Infant health: low birthweight in China, year by year
| Year | Percentage of live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 5.7 Percentage of live births | — |
| 2001 | 5.7 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 5.7 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 5.6 Percentage of live births | -1.8% |
| 2004 | 5.5 Percentage of live births | -1.8% |
| 2005 | 5.5 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 5.4 Percentage of live births | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 5.3 Percentage of live births | -1.9% |
| 2008 | 5.3 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 5.2 Percentage of live births | -1.9% |
| 2010 | 5.2 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 5.2 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 5.1 Percentage of live births | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 5.1 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 5.1 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 5 Percentage of live births | -2.0% |
| 2016 | 5 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 5 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 5 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
China compared with similar countries
- China's 5 Percentage of live births is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 8.1 Percentage of live births, 62% of the median. (10 countries reporting)
- China's 5 Percentage of live births is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 8.4 Percentage of live births, 60% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.49 Percentage of live births | 5.2 Percentage of live births | 5.7 Percentage of live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.07 Percentage of live births | 5 Percentage of live births | 5.2 Percentage of live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 5 Percentage of live births | 5 Percentage of live births | 5 Percentage of live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near China
More health data for China
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.15 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.0985 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,029 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 4,642 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 10 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -8.22 % 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 0.0159 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -8.73 % 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 China?
- Infant health: low birthweight in China was 5 Percentage of live births in 2020, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest infant health: low birthweight recorded in China?
- The highest recorded value was 5.7 Percentage of live births in 2000.
- What is the lowest infant health: low birthweight recorded in China?
- The lowest recorded value was 5 Percentage of live births in 2015.
- How does China rank for infant health: low birthweight?
- China ranks 36th out of 41 countries with data for 2020.
- Is infant health: low birthweight rising or falling in China?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this China 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.
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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.