Low-birthweight babies in Sweden

Sweden: Low-birthweight babies was 4.1% in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
4.1%
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
155th
of 157 countries
All-time high
4.3%
in 2000
All-time low
4.1%
in 2020
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Low-birthweight babies in Sweden, 2000–2020

012342000201020202000: 4.3 % of births2001: 4.3 % of births2002: 4.3 % of births2003: 4.3 % of births2004: 4.3 % of births2005: 4.3 % of births2006: 4.2 % of births2007: 4.2 % of births2008: 4.2 % of births2009: 4.2 % of births2010: 4.2 % of births2011: 4.2 % of births2012: 4.2 % of births2013: 4.2 % of births2014: 4.2 % of births2015: 4.2 % of births2016: 4.2 % of births2017: 4.2 % of births2018: 4.1 % of births2019: 4.1 % of births2020: 4.1 % of births

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

Analysis

Sweden recorded 4.1% for low-birthweight babies in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 2.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, low-birthweight babies in Sweden peaked at 4.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 4.1%, in 2020.

That places Sweden 155th out of 157 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Low-birthweight babies in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Low-birthweight babies (% of births) in Sweden, 2000 to 2020.
Year % of births Change
2000 4.3%
2001 4.3% -0.2%
2002 4.3% -0.2%
2003 4.3% -0.2%
2004 4.3% -0.3%
2005 4.3% -0.3%
2006 4.2% -0.3%
2007 4.2% -0.2%
2008 4.2% -0.1%
2009 4.2% -0.0%
2010 4.2% -0.0%
2011 4.2% -0.1%
2012 4.2% -0.1%
2013 4.2% -0.2%
2014 4.2% -0.3%
2015 4.2% -0.3%
2016 4.2% -0.4%
2017 4.2% -0.4%
2018 4.1% -0.3%
2019 4.1% -0.3%
2020 4.1% -0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 4.3% 4.2% 4.3% 10
2010s 4.2% 4.1% 4.2% 10
2020s 4.1% 4.1% 4.1% 1

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 152 San Marino 4.2% compare
  2. 153 Latvia 4.2% compare
  3. 154 Estonia 4.2% compare
  4. 156 Finland 4.1% compare
  5. 157 Iceland 4.0% compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More health data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is low-birthweight babies in Sweden?
Low-birthweight babies in Sweden was 4.1% in 2020, according to UNICEF-WHO Low birthweight estimates, UN Children's Fund (UNICEF).
What is the highest low-birthweight babies recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 4.3% in 2000.
What is the lowest low-birthweight babies recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 4.1% in 2020.
How does Sweden rank for low-birthweight babies?
Sweden ranks 155th out of 157 countries with data for 2020.
Is low-birthweight babies rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Sweden 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 Sweden. 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/sweden/

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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.