Low birth weight prevalence in World
World: Low birth weight prevalence was 14.7% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Low birth weight prevalence in World, 2000–2020
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for low birth weight prevalence in World is 14.7%, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.7% on the previous year and down 3.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, low birth weight prevalence in World peaked at 16.6% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 14.5%, in 2017.
That places World 15th out of 50 groups with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.1% | 15.4% | 16.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.8% | 14.5% | 15.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.7% | 14.7% | 14.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near World
- 12 Burkina Faso 18.5% compare
- 13 Cote d'Ivoire 18.3% compare
- 14 East Timor 18.2% compare
- 15 Sri Lanka 18.0% compare
- 16 Mozambique 17.8% compare
- 17 Senegal 17.2% compare
- 17 Guyana 17.2% compare
More health data for World
- Population, male 50.3% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female 23.8% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female 974.32 million (2025)
- Population, female 49.7% (2025)
- Population, male 4.13 billion (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male 9.2% (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above 10.4% (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total 854.60 million (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male 1.03 billion (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male 380.05 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is low birth weight prevalence in World?
- Low birth weight prevalence in World was 14.7% in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest low birth weight prevalence recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 16.6% in 2000.
- What is the lowest low birth weight prevalence recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.5% in 2017.
- How does World rank for low birth weight prevalence?
- World ranks 15th out of 50 groups with data for 2020.
- Is low birth weight prevalence rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.9%. 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 prevalence (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).