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.
Preterm birth in World, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 13.80 million | — |
| 2011 | 13.84 million | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 13.98 million | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 13.93 million | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 13.92 million | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 13.87 million | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 13.91 million | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 13.85 million | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 13.69 million | -1.2% |
| 2019 | 13.57 million | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 13.38 million | -1.4% |
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
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2,458 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.47 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0381 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.6031 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0401 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, annual growth rate -0.915 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, female, per capita 0.04 units per person (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).