Low-birthweight babies in Iceland

Iceland: Low-birthweight babies was 4.0% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
4.0%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
157th
of 157 countries
All-time high
4.0%
in 2020
All-time low
3.6%
in 2000
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Low-birthweight babies in Iceland, 2000–2020

012342000201020202000: 3.6 % of births2001: 3.6 % of births2002: 3.6 % of births2003: 3.6 % of births2004: 3.7 % of births2005: 3.7 % of births2006: 3.7 % of births2007: 3.7 % of births2008: 3.7 % of births2009: 3.8 % of births2010: 3.8 % of births2011: 3.8 % of births2012: 3.8 % of births2013: 3.8 % of births2014: 3.9 % of births2015: 3.9 % of births2016: 3.9 % of births2017: 3.9 % of births2018: 3.9 % of births2019: 4 % of births2020: 4 % of births

Source: UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Measured in % of births.

Analysis

The most recent figure for low-birthweight babies in Iceland is 4.0%, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 5.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, low-birthweight babies in Iceland peaked at 4.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.6%, in 2000.

Iceland ranks 157th 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 Iceland, year by year

Annual values for Low-birthweight babies (% of births) in Iceland, 2000 to 2020.
Year % of births Change
2000 3.6%
2001 3.6% +0.6%
2002 3.6% +0.6%
2003 3.6% +0.5%
2004 3.7% +0.5%
2005 3.7% +0.5%
2006 3.7% +0.5%
2007 3.7% +0.5%
2008 3.7% +0.5%
2009 3.8% +0.4%
2010 3.8% +0.4%
2011 3.8% +0.5%
2012 3.8% +0.6%
2013 3.8% +0.6%
2014 3.9% +0.6%
2015 3.9% +0.6%
2016 3.9% +0.6%
2017 3.9% +0.6%
2018 3.9% +0.6%
2019 4.0% +0.6%
2020 4.0% +0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 3.7% 3.6% 3.8% 10
2010s 3.9% 3.8% 4.0% 10
2020s 4.0% 4.0% 4.0% 1

Countries ranked near Iceland

  1. 154 Estonia 4.2% compare
  2. 155 Sweden 4.1% compare
  3. 156 Finland 4.1% compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More health data for Iceland

All data for Iceland →

Frequently asked questions

What is low-birthweight babies in Iceland?
Low-birthweight babies in Iceland was 4.0% in 2020, according to UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
What is the highest low-birthweight babies recorded in Iceland?
The highest recorded value was 4.0% in 2020.
What is the lowest low-birthweight babies recorded in Iceland?
The lowest recorded value was 3.6% in 2000.
How does Iceland rank for low-birthweight babies?
Iceland ranks 157th out of 157 countries with data for 2020.
Is low-birthweight babies rising or falling in Iceland?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Iceland 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.

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Low-birthweight babies in Iceland. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/low-birthweight-babies-percent-of-births/iceland/

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About this data

Indicator
Low-birthweight babies (% of births)
Unit
% of births
Source
UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
188 places, 3,948 data points, 2000–2020
Last refreshed

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.