Infant health: low birthweight in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: 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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1960–2024

02468196019922024

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

Analysis

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Infant health: low birthweight in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1960 to 2024.
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%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest 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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 18 Argentina 7.4 Percentage of live births compare
  2. 19 Spain 7.3 Percentage of live births compare
  3. 19 Russian Federation 7.3 Percentage of live births compare
  4. 21 Canada 7.2 Percentage of live births compare
  5. 23 New Zealand 7 Percentage of live births compare
  6. 24 Italy 6.7 Percentage of live births compare
  7. 24 Israel 6.7 Percentage of live births compare
  8. 24 Peru 6.7 Percentage of live births compare

See the full ranking of 51 places →

More health data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is infant health: low birthweight in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Infant health: low birthweight in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 6.4 Percentage of live births in 1964.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for infant health: low birthweight?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 21st out of 41 countries with data for 2024.
Is infant health: low birthweight rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
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 of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/infant-health-low-birthweight/united-kingdom/

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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.