Infant health: low birthweight in Sweden

Sweden: Infant health: low birthweight was 4.1 Percentage of live births in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
4.1 Percentage of live births
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
39th
of 41 countries
All-time high
5.1 Percentage of live births
in 1960
All-time low
3.9 Percentage of live births
in 1977
Years of data
64
1960–2024

Infant health: low birthweight in Sweden, 1960–2024

0246196019922024

Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of live births.

Analysis

Sweden recorded 4.1 Percentage of live births for infant health: low birthweight in 2024.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, infant health: low birthweight in Sweden peaked at 5.1 Percentage of live births in 1960 and was at its lowest, 3.9 Percentage of live births, in 1977.

That places Sweden 39th out of 41 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 64 years of available data.

Infant health: low birthweight in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Infant health: low birthweight in Sweden, 1960 to 2024.
Year Percentage of live births Change
1960 5.1 Percentage of live births
1961 5 Percentage of live births -2.0%
1962 5 Percentage of live births +0.0%
1963 5.1 Percentage of live births +2.0%
1964 5 Percentage of live births -2.0%
1965 4.8 Percentage of live births -4.0%
1966 4.9 Percentage of live births +2.1%
1967 4.4 Percentage of live births -10.2%
1968 4.8 Percentage of live births +9.1%
1969 4.2 Percentage of live births -12.5%
1970 4.3 Percentage of live births +2.4%
1971 4.1 Percentage of live births -4.7%
1973 4.2 Percentage of live births +2.4%
1974 4.3 Percentage of live births +2.4%
1975 4.3 Percentage of live births +0.0%
1976 4.3 Percentage of live births +0.0%
1977 3.9 Percentage of live births -9.3%
1978 4 Percentage of live births +2.6%
1979 4 Percentage of live births +0.0%
1980 4 Percentage of live births +0.0%
1981 4.3 Percentage of live births +7.5%
1982 4.2 Percentage of live births -2.3%
1983 4.3 Percentage of live births +2.4%
1984 4.2 Percentage of live births -2.3%
1985 4.4 Percentage of live births +4.8%
1986 4.5 Percentage of live births +2.3%
1987 4.5 Percentage of live births +0.0%
1988 4.5 Percentage of live births +0.0%
1989 4.3 Percentage of live births -4.4%
1990 4.3 Percentage of live births +0.0%
1991 4.5 Percentage of live births +4.7%
1992 4.5 Percentage of live births +0.0%
1993 4.4 Percentage of live births -2.2%
1994 4.3 Percentage of live births -2.3%
1995 4.4 Percentage of live births +2.3%
1996 4.2 Percentage of live births -4.5%
1997 4.3 Percentage of live births +2.4%
1998 4.4 Percentage of live births +2.3%
1999 4.3 Percentage of live births -2.3%
2000 4.4 Percentage of live births +2.3%
2001 4.3 Percentage of live births -2.3%
2002 4.3 Percentage of live births +0.0%
2003 4.3 Percentage of live births +0.0%
2004 4.2 Percentage of live births -2.3%
2005 4.1 Percentage of live births -2.4%
2006 4.3 Percentage of live births +4.9%
2007 4.2 Percentage of live births -2.3%
2008 4.4 Percentage of live births +4.8%
2009 4.2 Percentage of live births -4.5%
2010 4.2 Percentage of live births +0.0%
2011 4.2 Percentage of live births +0.0%
2012 4 Percentage of live births -4.8%
2013 4.1 Percentage of live births +2.5%
2014 4.3 Percentage of live births +4.9%
2015 4.2 Percentage of live births -2.3%
2016 4.3 Percentage of live births +2.4%
2017 4.2 Percentage of live births -2.3%
2018 4.1 Percentage of live births -2.4%
2019 4.2 Percentage of live births +2.4%
2020 4 Percentage of live births -4.8%
2021 4 Percentage of live births +0.0%
2022 4.2 Percentage of live births +5.0%
2023 4.1 Percentage of live births -2.4%
2024 4.1 Percentage of live births +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1960s 4.83 Percentage of live births 4.2 Percentage of live births 5.1 Percentage of live births 10
1970s 4.16 Percentage of live births 3.9 Percentage of live births 4.3 Percentage of live births 9
1980s 4.32 Percentage of live births 4 Percentage of live births 4.5 Percentage of live births 10
1990s 4.36 Percentage of live births 4.2 Percentage of live births 4.5 Percentage of live births 10
2000s 4.27 Percentage of live births 4.1 Percentage of live births 4.4 Percentage of live births 10
2010s 4.18 Percentage of live births 4 Percentage of live births 4.3 Percentage of live births 10
2020s 4.08 Percentage of live births 4 Percentage of live births 4.2 Percentage of live births 5

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 36 China 5 Percentage of live births compare
  2. 37 Denmark 4.6 Percentage of live births compare
  3. 38 Norway 4.4 Percentage of live births compare
  4. 40 Finland 3.9 Percentage of live births compare
  5. 41 Iceland 3.5 Percentage of live births compare

See the full ranking of 51 places →

More health data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is infant health: low birthweight in Sweden?
Infant health: low birthweight in Sweden was 4.1 Percentage of live births in 2024, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
What is the highest infant health: low birthweight recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 5.1 Percentage of live births in 1960.
What is the lowest infant health: low birthweight recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 3.9 Percentage of live births in 1977.
How does Sweden rank for infant health: low birthweight?
Sweden ranks 39th out of 41 countries with data for 2024.
Is infant health: low birthweight rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sweden 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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Infant health: low birthweight in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 23 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/infant-health-low-birthweight/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Infant health: low birthweight
Unit
Percentage of live births
Source
Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development
Licence
OECD Terms and Conditions (attribution required)
Coverage
51 places, 2,043 data points, 1960–2025
Last refreshed

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.