Low-birthweight babies in Australia
Australia: Low-birthweight babies was 6.6% in 2020. ▲ Rising
Low-birthweight babies in Australia, 2000–2020
Source: UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Measured in % of births.
Analysis
Australia recorded 6.6% for low-birthweight babies in 2020. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, low-birthweight babies in Australia peaked at 6.6% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 6.2%, in 2000.
Australia ranks 126th of 157 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Low-birthweight babies in Australia, year by year
| Year | % of births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6.2% | — |
| 2001 | 6.2% | +0.4% |
| 2002 | 6.3% | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 6.3% | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 6.3% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 6.3% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 6.3% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 6.3% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 6.3% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 6.3% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 6.4% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 6.4% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 6.4% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 6.4% | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 6.4% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 6.5% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 6.5% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 6.5% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 6.5% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 6.5% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 6.6% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.3% | 6.2% | 6.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.5% | 6.4% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.6% | 6.6% | 6.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Australia
More health data for Australia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.83 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.9072 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 906.6 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 215 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 65-69, male, annual growth rate 2.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per capita 0.0248 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, annual growth rate 2.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per capita 0.0234 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is low-birthweight babies in Australia?
- Low-birthweight babies in Australia was 6.6% in 2020, according to UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest low-birthweight babies recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 6.6% in 2020.
- What is the lowest low-birthweight babies recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.2% in 2000.
- How does Australia rank for low-birthweight babies?
- Australia ranks 126th out of 157 countries with data for 2020.
- Is low-birthweight babies rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), published as part of Low-birthweight babies (% of births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Low-birthweight babies are newborns weighing less than 2,500 grams, with the measurement taken within the first hour of life, before significant postnatal weight loss has occurred.