Preterm birth in World
World: Preterm birth was 13.38 million in 2020. ▬ Flat
Latest (2020)
13.38 million
Change on year
down 1.4%
Rank
1st
of 17 groups
All-time high
13.98 million
in 2012
All-time low
13.38 million
in 2020
Years of data
11
2010–2020
Preterm birth in World, 2010–2020
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
In 2020, preterm birth in World stood at 13.38 million. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, preterm birth in World peaked at 13.98 million in 2012 and was at its lowest, 13.38 million, in 2020.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 13.83 million | 13.57 million | 13.98 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.38 million | 13.38 million | 13.38 million | 1 |
Countries ranked near World
More health data for World
- Population, male 50.3% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female 23.8% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, female 974.32 million (2025)
- Population, female 49.7% (2025)
- Population, male 4.13 billion (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male 9.2% (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above 10.4% (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, total 854.60 million (2025)
- Population ages 0-14, male 1.03 billion (2025)
- Population ages 65 and above, male 380.05 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is preterm birth in World?
- Preterm birth in World was 13.38 million in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest preterm birth recorded in World?
- The highest recorded value was 13.98 million in 2012.
- What is the lowest preterm birth recorded in World?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.38 million in 2020.
- How does World rank for preterm birth?
- World ranks 1st out of 17 groups with data for 2020.
- Is preterm birth rising or falling in World?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this World 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).