Low-birthweight babies in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income): Low-birthweight babies was 9.7% in 2020. ▬ Flat
Low-birthweight babies in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), 2000–2020
Source: UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Measured in % of births.
Analysis
Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) recorded 9.7% for low-birthweight babies in 2020. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.4% on the previous year and up 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, low-birthweight babies in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) peaked at 9.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 9.3%, in 2000.
That places Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 14th out of 31 groups with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
Low-birthweight babies in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % of births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 9.3% | — |
| 2001 | 9.3% | +0.5% |
| 2002 | 9.4% | +0.4% |
| 2003 | 9.4% | +0.3% |
| 2004 | 9.4% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 9.4% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 9.4% | +0.1% |
| 2007 | 9.4% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 9.5% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 9.5% | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 9.5% | +0.1% |
| 2011 | 9.5% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 9.5% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 9.5% | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 9.5% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 9.5% | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 9.6% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 9.6% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 9.6% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 9.6% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 9.7% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.4% | 9.3% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.5% | 9.5% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.7% | 9.7% | 9.7% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
- 11 Mauritius 18.7% compare
- 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
More health data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 1.43 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0359 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 1.15 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0369 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, annual growth rate 0.8651 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0376 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, female, annual growth rate 0.3093 % change on previous year (2025)
All data for Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) →
Frequently asked questions
- What is low-birthweight babies in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- Low-birthweight babies in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) was 9.7% in 2020, according to UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
- What is the highest low-birthweight babies recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 9.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest low-birthweight babies recorded in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.3% in 2000.
- How does Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) rank for low-birthweight babies?
- Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) ranks 14th out of 31 groups with data for 2020.
- Is low-birthweight babies rising or falling in Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Latin America & Caribbean (excluding high income) 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
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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.