Preterm birth in Europe (WHO region)
Europe (WHO region): Preterm birth was 788,364 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
788,364
Change on year
down 1.9%
Rank
14th
of 17 groups
All-time high
872,863
in 2015
All-time low
788,364
in 2020
Years of data
11
2010–2020
Preterm birth in Europe (WHO region), 2010–2020
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2020, preterm birth in Europe (WHO region) stood at 788,364. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
The figure is down 1.9% on the previous year and down 8.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, preterm birth in Europe (WHO region) peaked at 872,863 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 788,364, in 2020.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 853,290 | 803,846 | 872,863 | 10 |
| 2020s | 788,364 | 788,364 | 788,364 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Europe (WHO region)
More health data for Europe (WHO region)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases 52,021 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases 38,686 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases 199 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases 85 (2025)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases 1 (2025)
- Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard 25.9% (2024)
- Neonatal mortality rate 4.1 (2024)
- Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard 10.3% (2024)
- Overweight among adults, BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) 55.0% (2024)
- Number of neonatal deaths 39,506 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is preterm birth in Europe (WHO region)?
- Preterm birth in Europe (WHO region) was 788,364 in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest preterm birth recorded in Europe (WHO region)?
- The highest recorded value was 872,863 in 2015.
- What is the lowest preterm birth recorded in Europe (WHO region)?
- The lowest recorded value was 788,364 in 2020.
- How does Europe (WHO region) rank for preterm birth?
- Europe (WHO region) ranks 14th out of 17 groups with data for 2020.
- Is preterm birth rising or falling in Europe (WHO region)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 8.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Europe (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).