Low-birthweight babies in Republic of Korea

Republic of Korea: Low-birthweight babies was 7.5% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
7.5%
Change on year
up 2.3%
World rank
110th
of 157 countries
All-time high
7.5%
in 2020
All-time low
5.0%
in 2000
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Low-birthweight babies in Republic of Korea, 2000–2020

024682000201020202000: 5 % of births2001: 5.1 % of births2002: 5.2 % of births2003: 5.2 % of births2004: 5.3 % of births2005: 5.4 % of births2006: 5.5 % of births2007: 5.6 % of births2008: 5.8 % of births2009: 5.9 % of births2010: 6 % of births2011: 6.1 % of births2012: 6.3 % of births2013: 6.4 % of births2014: 6.5 % of births2015: 6.7 % of births2016: 6.8 % of births2017: 7 % of births2018: 7.1 % of births2019: 7.3 % of births2020: 7.5 % of births

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

Analysis

In 2020, low-birthweight babies in Republic of Korea stood at 7.5%. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.3% on the previous year and up 24.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, low-birthweight babies in Republic of Korea peaked at 7.5% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 5.0%, in 2000.

That places Republic of Korea 110th out of 157 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

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

Low-birthweight babies in Republic of Korea, year by year

Annual values for Low-birthweight babies (% of births) in Republic of Korea, 2000 to 2020.
Year % of births Change
2000 5.0%
2001 5.1% +1.8%
2002 5.2% +1.8%
2003 5.2% +1.8%
2004 5.3% +1.8%
2005 5.4% +1.9%
2006 5.5% +1.9%
2007 5.6% +1.9%
2008 5.8% +2.0%
2009 5.9% +2.0%
2010 6.0% +2.0%
2011 6.1% +2.1%
2012 6.3% +2.1%
2013 6.4% +2.2%
2014 6.5% +2.2%
2015 6.7% +2.2%
2016 6.8% +2.2%
2017 7.0% +2.2%
2018 7.1% +2.3%
2019 7.3% +2.3%
2020 7.5% +2.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 5.4% 5.0% 5.9% 10
2010s 6.6% 6.0% 7.3% 10
2020s 7.5% 7.5% 7.5% 1

Countries ranked near Republic of Korea

  1. 107 Luxembourg 7.7% compare
  2. 108 Czechia 7.6% compare
  3. 109 Peru 7.5% compare
  4. 111 France 7.4% compare
  5. 112 Georgia 7.4% compare
  6. 113 Fiji 7.4% compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More health data for Republic of Korea

All data for Republic of Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is low-birthweight babies in Republic of Korea?
Low-birthweight babies in Republic of Korea was 7.5% in 2020, according to UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
What is the highest low-birthweight babies recorded in Republic of Korea?
The highest recorded value was 7.5% in 2020.
What is the lowest low-birthweight babies recorded in Republic of Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 5.0% in 2000.
How does Republic of Korea rank for low-birthweight babies?
Republic of Korea ranks 110th out of 157 countries with data for 2020.
Is low-birthweight babies rising or falling in Republic of Korea?
Over the last ten years it is up 24.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Republic of Korea 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 Republic of Korea. 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/korea-rep/

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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.