Low birth weight number in Canada

Canada: Low birth weight number was 24.5 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
24.5
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
61st
of 157 countries
All-time high
24.5
in 2020
All-time low
18.4
in 2000
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Low birth weight number in Canada, 2000–2020

05101520252000201020202000: 18.42001: 18.72002: 18.82003: 19.22004: 19.42005: 19.82006: 20.62007: 21.82008: 22.52009: 22.92010: 22.92011: 23.22012: 23.62013: 23.62014: 242015: 23.72016: 23.82017: 24.22018: 24.12019: 23.92020: 24.5

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

In 2020, low birth weight number in Canada stood at 24.5. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.5% on the previous year and up 7.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, low birth weight number in Canada peaked at 24.5 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 18.4, in 2000.

That places Canada 61st out of 157 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Low birth weight number in Canada, year by year

Annual values for Low birth weight number (in thousands) in Canada, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 18.4 —
2001 18.7 +1.6%
2002 18.8 +0.5%
2003 19.2 +2.1%
2004 19.4 +1.0%
2005 19.8 +2.1%
2006 20.6 +4.0%
2007 21.8 +5.8%
2008 22.5 +3.2%
2009 22.9 +1.8%
2010 22.9 +0.0%
2011 23.2 +1.3%
2012 23.6 +1.7%
2013 23.6 +0.0%
2014 24 +1.7%
2015 23.7 -1.3%
2016 23.8 +0.4%
2017 24.2 +1.7%
2018 24.1 -0.4%
2019 23.9 -0.8%
2020 24.5 +2.5%

Canada compared with similar countries

  • Canada's 24.5 is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.95, 4.9× the median. (58 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 20.21 18.4 22.9 10
2010s 23.7 22.9 24.2 10
2020s 24.5 24.5 24.5 1

Countries ranked near Canada

  1. 58 Dominican Republic 27.8 compare
  2. 59 Laos 27.5 compare
  3. 60 Sierra Leone 27.2 compare
  4. 62 Tajikistan 22.9 compare
  5. 63 Kazakhstan 22.6 compare
  6. 64 South Korea 22 compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More health data for Canada

All data for Canada →

Frequently asked questions

What is low birth weight number in Canada?
Low birth weight number in Canada was 24.5 in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest low birth weight number recorded in Canada?
The highest recorded value was 24.5 in 2020.
What is the lowest low birth weight number recorded in Canada?
The lowest recorded value was 18.4 in 2000.
How does Canada rank for low birth weight number?
Canada ranks 61st out of 157 countries with data for 2020.
Is low birth weight number rising or falling in Canada?
Over the last ten years it is up 7.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Canada data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Low birth weight number (in thousands). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Low birth weight number in Canada. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 26 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/low-birth-weight-number-in-thousands/canada/

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About this data

Indicator
Low birth weight number (in thousands)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
178 places, 3,738 data points, 2000–2020
Last refreshed