Preterm birth rate in Australia

Australia: Preterm birth rate was 8.19 in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
8.19
Change on year
up 0.4%
World rank
42nd
of 102 countries
All-time high
8.19
in 2020
All-time low
7.9
in 2010
Years of data
11
2010–2020

Preterm birth rate in Australia, 2010–2020

024682010201520202010: 7.92011: 7.92012: 82013: 82014: 82015: 82016: 8.12017: 8.12018: 8.12019: 8.22020: 8.2

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

Australia recorded 8.19 for preterm birth rate in 2020. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 3.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, preterm birth rate in Australia peaked at 8.19 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 7.9, in 2010.

Australia ranks 42nd of 102 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 8.03 7.9 8.16 10
2020s 8.19 8.19 8.19 1

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 39 Hungary 8.33 compare
  2. 40 Venezuela, República Bolivariana de 8.27 compare
  3. 41 Belgium 8.21 compare
  4. 43 Singapore 8.19 compare
  5. 44 United Kingdom 8.05 compare
  6. 45 Ghana 8 compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More health data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is preterm birth rate in Australia?
Preterm birth rate in Australia was 8.19 in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest preterm birth rate recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 8.19 in 2020.
What is the lowest preterm birth rate recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 7.9 in 2010.
How does Australia rank for preterm birth rate?
Australia ranks 42nd out of 102 countries with data for 2020.
Is preterm birth rate rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Preterm birth rate (per 100 live births). 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 rate in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 18 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/preterm-birth-rate-per-100-live-births-2/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Preterm birth rate (per 100 live births)
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