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
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
| 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% |
Sweden compared with similar countries
- Sweden's 4.1 Percentage of live births is below the median for high income countries, which is 6.85 Percentage of live births, 60% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Sweden's 4.1 Percentage of live births is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.6 Percentage of live births, 62% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More health data for Sweden
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.8581 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,109 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 30 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -3.12 % 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 0.0243 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -3.2 % 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 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.
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.