Low-birthweight babies in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: Low-birthweight babies was 18.0% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
18.0%
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
15th
of 157 countries
All-time high
19.3%
in 2000
All-time low
18.0%
in 2020
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Low-birthweight babies in Sri Lanka, 2000–2020

051015202000201020202000: 19.3 % of births2001: 19.3 % of births2002: 19.3 % of births2003: 19.2 % of births2004: 19.2 % of births2005: 19.1 % of births2006: 19 % of births2007: 18.9 % of births2008: 18.9 % of births2009: 18.8 % of births2010: 18.7 % of births2011: 18.6 % of births2012: 18.5 % of births2013: 18.4 % of births2014: 18.3 % of births2015: 18.3 % of births2016: 18.2 % of births2017: 18.1 % of births2018: 18.1 % of births2019: 18 % of births2020: 18 % 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 Sri Lanka is 18.0%, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.

That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and down 3.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, low-birthweight babies in Sri Lanka peaked at 19.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 18.0%, in 2020.

Sri Lanka ranks 15th of 157 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

Low-birthweight babies in Sri Lanka, year by year

Annual values for Low-birthweight babies (% of births) in Sri Lanka, 2000 to 2020.
Year % of births Change
2000 19.3%
2001 19.3% -0.1%
2002 19.3% -0.2%
2003 19.2% -0.3%
2004 19.2% -0.3%
2005 19.1% -0.4%
2006 19.0% -0.3%
2007 18.9% -0.4%
2008 18.9% -0.5%
2009 18.8% -0.5%
2010 18.7% -0.6%
2011 18.6% -0.6%
2012 18.5% -0.5%
2013 18.4% -0.4%
2014 18.3% -0.4%
2015 18.3% -0.4%
2016 18.2% -0.3%
2017 18.1% -0.3%
2018 18.1% -0.3%
2019 18.0% -0.3%
2020 18.0% -0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 19.1% 18.8% 19.3% 10
2010s 18.3% 18.0% 18.7% 10
2020s 18.0% 18.0% 18.0% 1

Countries ranked near Sri Lanka

  1. 12 Burkina Faso 18.5% compare
  2. 13 Côte d'Ivoire 18.3% compare
  3. 14 Timor-Leste 18.2% compare
  4. 16 Mozambique 17.8% compare
  5. 17 Senegal 17.2% compare
  6. 18 Guyana 17.2% compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More health data for Sri Lanka

All data for Sri Lanka →

Frequently asked questions

What is low-birthweight babies in Sri Lanka?
Low-birthweight babies in Sri Lanka was 18.0% in 2020, according to UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
What is the highest low-birthweight babies recorded in Sri Lanka?
The highest recorded value was 19.3% in 2000.
What is the lowest low-birthweight babies recorded in Sri Lanka?
The lowest recorded value was 18.0% in 2020.
How does Sri Lanka rank for low-birthweight babies?
Sri Lanka ranks 15th out of 157 countries with data for 2020.
Is low-birthweight babies rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sri Lanka 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 Sri Lanka. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF). Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/low-birthweight-babies-percent-of-births/sri-lanka/

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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.