Low birth weight prevalence (%) by country
Countries reporting
157
Highest
27.4%
India
Lowest
4.0%
Iceland
Median
10.2%
Years covered
21
2000–2020
Data points
4,368
What the numbers show
Low birth weight prevalence (%) is currently reported for 157 countries. The highest value is 27.4% in India; the lowest is 4.0% in Iceland.
The median across all reporting countries is 10.2%, and the mean is 10.9%.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 7.
Over the past decade 64 countries rose and 81 fell. The largest increase was in South Korea (up 25.0%), and the largest decrease in Vietnam (down 21.2%).
Low birth weight prevalence: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 27.4% | 2020 | down 8.7% | falling |
| 2 | Bangladesh | 23.0% | 2020 | down 6.1% | falling |
| 2 | Comoros | 23.0% | 2020 | down 5.7% | falling |
| 4 | Philippines | 21.1% | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 5 | Liberia | 19.9% | 2020 | up 1.0% | flat |
| 6 | Nepal | 19.7% | 2020 | down 7.5% | falling |
| 7 | Guinea-Bissau | 19.5% | 2020 | down 12.2% | falling |
| 8 | Papua New Guinea | 19.4% | 2020 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 9 | Jordan | 18.9% | 2020 | up 14.5% | rising |
| 10 | Madagascar | 18.7% | 2020 | down 4.6% | falling |
| 10 | Mauritius | 18.7% | 2020 | down 3.1% | falling |
| 12 | Burkina Faso | 18.5% | 2020 | down 4.1% | falling |
| 13 | Cote d'Ivoire | 18.3% | 2020 | down 5.2% | falling |
| 14 | East Timor | 18.2% | 2020 | up 9.0% | flat |
| 15 | Sri Lanka | 18.0% | 2020 | down 3.7% | falling |
| 16 | Mozambique | 17.8% | 2020 | down 3.3% | falling |
| 17 | Guyana | 17.2% | 2020 | up 1.8% | rising |
| 17 | Senegal | 17.2% | 2020 | down 11.8% | falling |
| 19 | Botswana | 16.8% | 2020 | down 4.5% | falling |
| 20 | Laos | 16.7% | 2020 | down 3.5% | flat |
| 21 | South Africa | 16.6% | 2020 | down 0.6% | flat |
| 22 | Benin | 16.4% | 2020 | down 7.3% | falling |
| 22 | Central African Republic | 16.4% | 2020 | up 4.5% | rising |
| 24 | Saint Lucia | 16.3% | 2020 | up 3.8% | rising |
| 24 | Trinidad and Tobago | 16.3% | 2020 | up 3.8% | rising |
| 26 | Malawi | 15.6% | 2020 | down 1.3% | falling |
| 26 | Namibia | 15.6% | 2020 | down 3.1% | falling |
| 28 | Angola | 15.5% | 2020 | down 2.5% | falling |
| 29 | Antigua and Barbuda | 15.4% | 2020 | up 3.4% | rising |
| 29 | Bahamas | 15.4% | 2020 | up 1.3% | rising |
| 31 | Eritrea | 15.2% | 2020 | down 1.3% | falling |
| 32 | Burundi | 14.8% | 2020 | down 2.6% | falling |
| 32 | Morocco | 14.8% | 2020 | down 10.3% | falling |
| 34 | Gabon | 14.6% | 2020 | down 3.3% | flat |
| 35 | Guatemala | 14.5% | 2020 | up 1.4% | flat |
| 36 | Ghana | 14.4% | 2020 | down 4.6% | falling |
| 36 | Kuwait | 14.4% | 2020 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 36 | Lesotho | 14.4% | 2020 | down 2.7% | flat |
| 39 | Togo | 14.3% | 2020 | down 6.5% | falling |
| 40 | United Arab Emirates | 13.9% | 2020 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 41 | Malaysia | 13.8% | 2020 | up 7.8% | rising |
| 42 | Jamaica | 13.7% | 2020 | down 5.5% | falling |
| 42 | Maldives | 13.7% | 2020 | down 0.7% | flat |
| 44 | Brunei | 13.6% | 2020 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 45 | Palau | 13.5% | 2020 | down 1.5% | flat |
| 46 | Dominican Republic | 13.4% | 2020 | up 13.6% | rising |
| 47 | Gambia | 13.2% | 2020 | down 4.3% | falling |
| 47 | Oman | 13.2% | 2020 | down 0.8% | flat |
| 47 | Solomon Islands | 13.2% | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 50 | Honduras | 13.1% | 2020 | up 6.5% | rising |
| 50 | Vanuatu | 13.1% | 2020 | up 4.0% | rising |
| 52 | Turkey | 12.9% | 2020 | down 10.4% | falling |
| 53 | Lebanon | 12.6% | 2020 | up 4.1% | flat |
| 54 | Cameroon | 12.5% | 2020 | down 3.1% | falling |
| 54 | Myanmar | 12.5% | 2020 | down 1.6% | flat |
| 54 | Seychelles | 12.5% | 2020 | up 1.6% | flat |
| 57 | Bahrain | 12.4% | 2020 | up 8.8% | rising |
| 58 | Congo | 11.9% | 2020 | up 0.8% | falling |
| 59 | Zimbabwe | 11.8% | 2020 | down 4.8% | falling |
| 60 | Belize | 11.6% | 2020 | up 3.6% | rising |
| 61 | Bulgaria | 11.4% | 2020 | up 5.6% | rising |
| 61 | Bhutan | 11.4% | 2020 | down 2.6% | falling |
| 61 | Greece | 11.4% | 2020 | up 6.5% | rising |
| 61 | Cambodia | 11.4% | 2020 | down 12.3% | falling |
| 65 | Japan | 11.3% | 2020 | up 2.7% | flat |
| 66 | Zambia | 11.2% | 2020 | down 8.2% | falling |
| 67 | Sao Tome and Principe | 11.1% | 2020 | up 4.7% | rising |
| 68 | Azerbaijan | 11.0% | 2020 | up 0.9% | flat |
| 68 | Colombia | 11.0% | 2020 | up 5.8% | rising |
| 68 | Singapore | 11.0% | 2020 | up 3.8% | flat |
| 71 | Iraq | 10.9% | 2020 | up 1.9% | rising |
| 72 | Ecuador | 10.6% | 2020 | down 4.5% | falling |
| 73 | Palestine | 10.4% | 2020 | up 7.2% | rising |
| 74 | Panama | 10.3% | 2020 | down 5.5% | falling |
| 74 | Sierra Leone | 10.3% | 2020 | down 12.0% | falling |
| 74 | Thailand | 10.3% | 2020 | down 2.8% | falling |
| 74 | Cook Islands | 10.3% | 2020 | up 2.0% | flat |
| 78 | Democratic Republic of Congo | 10.2% | 2020 | down 9.7% | falling |
| 78 | Mexico | 10.2% | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 78 | El Salvador | 10.2% | 2020 | down 1.9% | flat |
| 78 | Eswatini | 10.2% | 2020 | down 4.7% | falling |
| 82 | Nicaragua | 10.1% | 2020 | down 7.3% | falling |
| 83 | Kenya | 10.0% | 2020 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 83 | Paraguay | 10.0% | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 83 | Qatar | 10.0% | 2020 | up 1.0% | flat |
| 86 | Indonesia | 9.9% | 2020 | down 6.6% | falling |
| 87 | Tanzania | 9.7% | 2020 | down 9.3% | falling |
| 88 | Spain | 9.6% | 2020 | up 2.1% | rising |
| 89 | Andorra | 9.4% | 2020 | up 4.4% | rising |
| 89 | Rwanda | 9.4% | 2020 | up 2.2% | rising |
| 91 | Venezuela | 9.3% | 2020 | up 4.5% | rising |
| 92 | Israel | 9.0% | 2020 | down 5.3% | falling |
| 92 | Kiribati | 9.0% | 2020 | down 4.3% | flat |
| 94 | Portugal | 8.9% | 2020 | up 8.5% | rising |
| 95 | Romania | 8.8% | 2020 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 96 | Brazil | 8.7% | 2020 | up 4.8% | rising |
| 96 | Costa Rica | 8.7% | 2020 | up 2.4% | flat |
| 96 | Tajikistan | 8.7% | 2020 | down 7.4% | falling |
| 99 | Armenia | 8.3% | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 99 | Hungary | 8.3% | 2020 | down 1.2% | flat |
| 99 | North Macedonia | 8.3% | 2020 | up 2.5% | flat |
| 99 | United States | 8.3% | 2020 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 103 | Tunisia | 8.2% | 2020 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 104 | Bolivia | 7.9% | 2020 | down 6.0% | falling |
| 105 | Slovakia | 7.8% | 2020 | up 5.4% | rising |
| 105 | Uruguay | 7.8% | 2020 | down 3.7% | falling |
| 107 | Luxembourg | 7.7% | 2020 | up 4.1% | rising |
| 108 | Czechia | 7.6% | 2020 | up 5.6% | rising |
| 109 | South Korea | 7.5% | 2020 | up 25.0% | rising |
| 109 | Peru | 7.5% | 2020 | down 12.8% | falling |
| 111 | Argentina | 7.4% | 2020 | up 2.8% | flat |
| 111 | Fiji | 7.4% | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 111 | France | 7.4% | 2020 | down 1.3% | flat |
| 111 | Georgia | 7.4% | 2020 | up 8.8% | rising |
| 115 | Russia | 7.3% | 2020 | up 1.4% | flat |
| 116 | Algeria | 7.2% | 2020 | up 4.3% | rising |
| 116 | Italy | 7.2% | 2020 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 116 | Malta | 7.2% | 2020 | up 4.3% | rising |
| 119 | Cuba | 7.1% | 2020 | down 1.4% | flat |
| 120 | Belgium | 6.8% | 2020 | down 2.9% | falling |
| 120 | Chile | 6.8% | 2020 | up 13.3% | rising |
| 120 | United Kingdom | 6.8% | 2020 | down 5.6% | falling |
| 120 | Monaco | 6.8% | 2020 | down 4.2% | falling |
| 124 | Germany | 6.7% | 2020 | down 2.9% | flat |
| 125 | Australia | 6.6% | 2020 | up 3.1% | rising |
| 125 | Canada | 6.6% | 2020 | up 8.2% | rising |
| 127 | Moldova | 6.5% | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 128 | Switzerland | 6.4% | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 129 | Austria | 6.3% | 2020 | down 6.0% | falling |
| 129 | Slovenia | 6.3% | 2020 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 129 | Vietnam | 6.3% | 2020 | down 21.2% | falling |
| 132 | Montenegro | 6.2% | 2020 | down 3.1% | flat |
| 132 | Serbia | 6.2% | 2020 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 134 | Albania | 6.0% | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 134 | Kyrgyzstan | 6.0% | 2020 | down 7.7% | falling |
| 136 | New Zealand | 5.9% | 2020 | down 3.3% | flat |
| 137 | Uzbekistan | 5.8% | 2020 | unchanged | rising |
| 138 | Netherlands | 5.7% | 2020 | down 8.1% | falling |
| 138 | Ukraine | 5.7% | 2020 | down 5.0% | falling |
| 140 | Ireland | 5.6% | 2020 | up 5.7% | rising |
| 140 | Poland | 5.6% | 2020 | down 3.4% | falling |
| 142 | Kazakhstan | 5.3% | 2020 | down 8.6% | falling |
| 143 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5.2% | 2020 | up 2.0% | flat |
| 144 | Belarus | 5.1% | 2020 | up 2.0% | flat |
| 145 | China | 5.0% | 2020 | down 3.8% | falling |
| 145 | Croatia | 5.0% | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 147 | Mongolia | 4.9% | 2020 | down 18.3% | falling |
| 148 | Denmark | 4.8% | 2020 | down 7.7% | falling |
| 149 | Lithuania | 4.4% | 2020 | down 6.4% | flat |
| 149 | Norway | 4.4% | 2020 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 151 | Turkmenistan | 4.3% | 2020 | down 15.7% | falling |
| 152 | Estonia | 4.2% | 2020 | down 6.7% | falling |
| 152 | Latvia | 4.2% | 2020 | down 8.7% | falling |
| 152 | San Marino | 4.2% | 2020 | up 5.0% | rising |
| 155 | Finland | 4.1% | 2020 | unchanged | flat |
| 155 | Sweden | 4.1% | 2020 | down 2.4% | flat |
| 157 | Iceland | 4.0% | 2020 | up 5.3% | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- South-East Asia (WHO region) 25.6%
- 34 24.4%
- 62 23.5%
- Lower-middle income (World Bank) 19.4%
- 54 18.0%
- 543 17.9%
- 142 17.2%
- 61 16.8%
- 18 16.4%
- Eastern Mediterranean (WHO region) 15.7%
- WB_LIMI 15.6%
- WB_MI 15.5%