Preterm birth in Western Pacific (WHO region)
Western Pacific (WHO region): Preterm birth was 1.28 million in 2020. ▼ Falling
Preterm birth in Western Pacific (WHO region), 2010–2020
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for preterm birth in Western Pacific (WHO region) is 1.28 million, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 10.3% on the previous year and down 21.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, preterm birth in Western Pacific (WHO region) peaked at 1.72 million in 2012 and was at its lowest, 1.28 million, 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 | 1.62 million | 1.42 million | 1.72 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.28 million | 1.28 million | 1.28 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near Western Pacific (WHO region)
- 7 Democratic Republic of the Congo 487,473 compare
- 8 United States 366,225 compare
- 9 Brazil 310,651 compare
- 10 Philippines 190,462 compare
- 11 United Republic of Tanzania 189,802 compare
- 12 Uganda 164,620 compare
- 13 South Africa 154,850 compare
More health data for Western Pacific (WHO region)
- Measles - number of reported cases 78,782 (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases 159,013 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases 5,464 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases 428 (2025)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases 214 (2025)
- Obesity among adults, BMI ≥ 30 kg/m2 (crude estimate) 9.6% (2024)
- Obesity among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +2 standard 15.2% (2024)
- Underweight among adults, BMI < 18.5 kg/m2 (age-standardized estimate) 6.1% (2024)
- Number of infant deaths 186,459 (2024)
- Overweight among children and adolescents, BMI-for-age > +1 standard 27.9% (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is preterm birth in Western Pacific (WHO region)?
- Preterm birth in Western Pacific (WHO region) was 1.28 million in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest preterm birth recorded in Western Pacific (WHO region)?
- The highest recorded value was 1.72 million in 2012.
- What is the lowest preterm birth recorded in Western Pacific (WHO region)?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.28 million in 2020.
- How does Western Pacific (WHO region) rank for preterm birth?
- Western Pacific (WHO region) ranks 10th out of 17 groups with data for 2020.
- Is preterm birth rising or falling in Western Pacific (WHO region)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Western Pacific (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).