Preterm birth in Africa (WHO region)
Africa (WHO region): Preterm birth was 3.90 million in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
3.90 million
Change on year
up 1.3%
Rank
6th
of 17 groups
All-time high
3.90 million
in 2020
All-time low
3.33 million
in 2010
Years of data
11
2010–2020
Preterm birth in Africa (WHO region), 2010–2020
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2020, preterm birth in Africa (WHO region) stood at 3.90 million. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.3% on the previous year and up 17.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, preterm birth in Africa (WHO region) peaked at 3.90 million in 2020 and was at its lowest, 3.33 million, in 2010.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.
Preterm birth in Africa (WHO region), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 3.33 million | — |
| 2011 | 3.39 million | +1.8% |
| 2012 | 3.44 million | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 3.49 million | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 3.54 million | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 3.60 million | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 3.65 million | +1.5% |
| 2017 | 3.71 million | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 3.78 million | +1.8% |
| 2019 | 3.85 million | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 3.90 million | +1.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 3.58 million | 3.33 million | 3.85 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.90 million | 3.90 million | 3.90 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near Africa (WHO region)
- 3 Nigeria 774,061 compare
- 4 China 752,855 compare
- 5 Ethiopia 495,880 compare
- 6 Bangladesh 488,608 compare
- 7 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 487,473 compare
- 8 United States 366,225 compare
- 9 Brazil 310,651 compare
More health data for Africa (WHO region)
- Measles - number of reported cases 179,400 (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases 12,202 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases 20,578 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases 20,261 (2025)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases 1,654 (2025)
- Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) 32.3% (2024)
- Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard 4.7% (2024)
- Underweight among adults, BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) 11.3% (2024)
- Number of under-five deaths 2.77 million (2024)
- Thinness among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age < -2 standard 7.2% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is preterm birth in Africa (WHO region)?
- Preterm birth in Africa (WHO region) was 3.90 million in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest preterm birth recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The highest recorded value was 3.90 million in 2020.
- What is the lowest preterm birth recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.33 million in 2010.
- How does Africa (WHO region) rank for preterm birth?
- Africa (WHO region) ranks 6th out of 17 groups with data for 2020.
- Is preterm birth rising or falling in Africa (WHO region)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Africa (WHO region) data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Preterm birth (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).