Low birth weight number in World

World: Low birth weight number was 19,834 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
19,834
Change on year
down 1.4%
Rank
1st
of 19 groups
All-time high
22,173
in 2001
All-time low
19,834
in 2020
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Low birth weight number in World, 2000–2020

05.0k10.0k15.0k20.0k2000201020202000: 22.1k2001: 22.2k2002: 22.1k2003: 22.0k2004: 21.9k2005: 21.8k2006: 21.7k2007: 21.7k2008: 21.7k2009: 21.7k2010: 21.6k2011: 21.6k2012: 21.6k2013: 21.4k2014: 21.1k2015: 21.0k2016: 20.9k2017: 20.6k2018: 20.4k2019: 20.1k2020: 19.8k

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

In 2020, low birth weight number in World stood at 19,834. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.

The figure is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 8.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, low birth weight number in World peaked at 22,173 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 19,834, in 2020.

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

Low birth weight number in World, year by year

Annual values for Low birth weight number (in thousands) in World, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 22,120 —
2001 22,173 +0.2%
2002 22,096 -0.3%
2003 21,991 -0.5%
2004 21,922 -0.3%
2005 21,771 -0.7%
2006 21,682 -0.4%
2007 21,700 +0.1%
2008 21,713 +0.1%
2009 21,711 -0.0%
2010 21,638 -0.3%
2011 21,559 -0.4%
2012 21,564 +0.0%
2013 21,402 -0.7%
2014 21,142 -1.2%
2015 20,979 -0.8%
2016 20,881 -0.5%
2017 20,630 -1.2%
2018 20,393 -1.1%
2019 20,118 -1.3%
2020 19,834 -1.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 21,888 21,682 22,173 10
2010s 21,031 20,118 21,638 10
2020s 19,834 19,834 19,834 1

Countries ranked near World

  1. 1 India 6,348 compare
  2. 2 Bangladesh 696.7 compare
  3. 3 China 608.9 compare
  4. 4 Philippines 522.9 compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More health data for World

All data for World →

Frequently asked questions

What is low birth weight number in World?
Low birth weight number in World was 19,834 in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest low birth weight number recorded in World?
The highest recorded value was 22,173 in 2001.
What is the lowest low birth weight number recorded in World?
The lowest recorded value was 19,834 in 2020.
How does World rank for low birth weight number?
World ranks 1st out of 19 groups with data for 2020.
Is low birth weight number rising or falling in World?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this World 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 World. 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/world/

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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