Infant health: low birthweight in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Infant health: low birthweight was 7.2 Percentage of live births in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
7.2 Percentage of live births
Change on year
up 1.4%
World rank
21st
of 41 countries
All-time high
7.6 Percentage of live births
in 2002
All-time low
6.4 Percentage of live births
in 1964
Years of data
65
1960–2024
Infant health: low birthweight in United Kingdom, 1960–2024
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of live births.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 7.2 Percentage of live births for infant health: low birthweight in 2024.
That represents a change of up 1.4% on the previous year and up 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, infant health: low birthweight in United Kingdom peaked at 7.6 Percentage of live births in 2002 and was at its lowest, 6.4 Percentage of live births, in 1964.
United Kingdom ranks 21st of 41 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 65 years of available data.
Infant health: low birthweight in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Percentage of live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1960 | 6.7 Percentage of live births | — |
| 1961 | 6.7 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1962 | 6.7 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1963 | 6.6 Percentage of live births | -1.5% |
| 1964 | 6.4 Percentage of live births | -3.0% |
| 1965 | 6.4 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1966 | 6.5 Percentage of live births | +1.6% |
| 1967 | 6.5 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1968 | 6.7 Percentage of live births | +3.1% |
| 1969 | 6.7 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 6.8 Percentage of live births | +1.5% |
| 1971 | 6.4 Percentage of live births | -5.9% |
| 1972 | 6.6 Percentage of live births | +3.1% |
| 1973 | 6.5 Percentage of live births | -1.5% |
| 1974 | 6.5 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 6.4 Percentage of live births | -1.5% |
| 1976 | 6.4 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 6.5 Percentage of live births | +1.6% |
| 1978 | 6.5 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 6.7 Percentage of live births | +3.1% |
| 1980 | 6.7 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 6.5 Percentage of live births | -3.0% |
| 1982 | 6.6 Percentage of live births | +1.5% |
| 1983 | 6.6 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 6.6 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 6.7 Percentage of live births | +1.5% |
| 1986 | 6.8 Percentage of live births | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 6.8 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 6.6 Percentage of live births | -2.9% |
| 1989 | 6.7 Percentage of live births | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 6.7 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 6.8 Percentage of live births | +1.5% |
| 1992 | 6.7 Percentage of live births | -1.5% |
| 1993 | 6.8 Percentage of live births | +1.5% |
| 1994 | 6.9 Percentage of live births | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 7.2 Percentage of live births | +4.3% |
| 1996 | 7.2 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 7.3 Percentage of live births | +1.4% |
| 1998 | 7.4 Percentage of live births | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 7.5 Percentage of live births | +1.4% |
| 2000 | 7.5 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 7.5 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 7.6 Percentage of live births | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 7.6 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 7.5 Percentage of live births | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 7.5 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 7.5 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 7.1 Percentage of live births | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 7.1 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 7.1 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 6.9 Percentage of live births | -2.8% |
| 2011 | 7 Percentage of live births | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 7 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 7 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 6.9 Percentage of live births | -1.4% |
| 2015 | 6.9 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 6.9 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 6.9 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 6.9 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 6.9 Percentage of live births | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 6.6 Percentage of live births | -4.3% |
| 2021 | 6.5 Percentage of live births | -1.5% |
| 2022 | 7 Percentage of live births | +7.7% |
| 2023 | 7.1 Percentage of live births | +1.4% |
| 2024 | 7.2 Percentage of live births | +1.4% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 7.2 Percentage of live births is above the median for high income countries, which is 6.85 Percentage of live births, 1.1× the median. (30 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 7.2 Percentage of live births is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.6 Percentage of live births, 1.1× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 6.59 Percentage of live births | 6.4 Percentage of live births | 6.7 Percentage of live births | 10 |
| 1970s | 6.53 Percentage of live births | 6.4 Percentage of live births | 6.8 Percentage of live births | 10 |
| 1980s | 6.66 Percentage of live births | 6.5 Percentage of live births | 6.8 Percentage of live births | 10 |
| 1990s | 7.05 Percentage of live births | 6.7 Percentage of live births | 7.5 Percentage of live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.4 Percentage of live births | 7.1 Percentage of live births | 7.6 Percentage of live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.93 Percentage of live births | 6.9 Percentage of live births | 7 Percentage of live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.88 Percentage of live births | 6.5 Percentage of live births | 7.2 Percentage of live births | 5 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
- 18 Argentina 7.4 Percentage of live births compare
- 19 Spain 7.3 Percentage of live births compare
- 19 Russia 7.3 Percentage of live births compare
- 21 Canada 7.2 Percentage of live births compare
- 23 New Zealand 7 Percentage of live births compare
- 24 Italy 6.7 Percentage of live births compare
- 24 Israel 6.7 Percentage of live births compare
- 24 Peru 6.7 Percentage of live births compare
More health data for United Kingdom
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.71 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.0265 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,134 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 461 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.7128 % 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 0.0247 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.7724 % 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 United Kingdom?
- Infant health: low birthweight in United Kingdom was 7.2 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 United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 7.6 Percentage of live births in 2002.
- What is the lowest infant health: low birthweight recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.4 Percentage of live births in 1964.
- How does United Kingdom rank for infant health: low birthweight?
- United Kingdom ranks 21st out of 41 countries with data for 2024.
- Is infant health: low birthweight rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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.