Preterm birth in Sweden

Sweden: Preterm birth was 6,072 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
6,072
Change on year
down 2.2%
World rank
70th
of 102 countries
All-time high
6,615
in 2010
All-time low
6,072
in 2020
Years of data
11
2010–2020

Preterm birth in Sweden, 2010–2020

02.0k4.0k6.0k2010201520202010: 6.6k2011: 6.4k2012: 6.4k2013: 6.4k2014: 6.5k2015: 6.4k2016: 6.5k2017: 6.3k2018: 6.3k2019: 6.2k2020: 6.1k

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

In 2020, preterm birth in Sweden stood at 6,072. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.2% on the previous year and down 8.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, preterm birth in Sweden peaked at 6,615 in 2010 and was at its lowest, 6,072, in 2020.

That places Sweden 70th out of 102 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.

Preterm birth in Sweden, year by year

Annual values for Preterm birth (number) in Sweden, 2010 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2010 6,615 —
2011 6,399 -3.3%
2012 6,428 +0.5%
2013 6,404 -0.4%
2014 6,458 +0.8%
2015 6,432 -0.4%
2016 6,498 +1.0%
2017 6,342 -2.4%
2018 6,296 -0.7%
2019 6,208 -1.4%
2020 6,072 -2.2%

Sweden compared with similar countries

  • Sweden's 6,072 is above the median for high income countries, which is 6,023, 1.0× the median. (45 countries reporting)
  • Sweden's 6,072 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6,023, 1.0× the median. (39 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 6,408 6,208 6,615 10
2020s 6,072 6,072 6,072 1

Countries ranked near Sweden

  1. 67 Botswana 6,639 compare
  2. 68 Portugal 6,430 compare
  3. 69 Cuba 6,316 compare
  4. 71 Austria 6,058 compare
  5. 72 Switzerland 6,023 compare
  6. 73 Bulgaria 4,766 compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More health data for Sweden

All data for Sweden →

Frequently asked questions

What is preterm birth in Sweden?
Preterm birth in Sweden was 6,072 in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest preterm birth recorded in Sweden?
The highest recorded value was 6,615 in 2010.
What is the lowest preterm birth recorded in Sweden?
The lowest recorded value was 6,072 in 2020.
How does Sweden rank for preterm birth?
Sweden ranks 70th out of 102 countries with data for 2020.
Is preterm birth rising or falling in Sweden?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Sweden 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.

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CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).

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Preterm birth in Sweden. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 26 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/preterm-birth-number/sweden/

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About this data

Indicator
Preterm birth (number)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
120 places, 1,320 data points, 2010–2020
Last refreshed