Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns by country
Countries reporting
157
Highest
27.44
India
Lowest
3.99
Iceland
Median
10.22
Years covered
21
2000–2020
Data points
6,573
What the numbers show
Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns is currently reported for 157 countries. The highest value is 27.44 in India; the lowest is 3.99 in Iceland.
The median across all reporting countries is 10.22, and the mean is 10.92.
The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 7.
Over the past decade 72 countries rose and 85 fell. The largest increase was in Republic of Korea (up 24.5%), and the largest decrease in Viet Nam (down 21.3%).
Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | 27.44 | 2020 | down 8.5% | falling |
| 2 | Bangladesh | 23.05 | 2020 | down 5.9% | falling |
| 3 | Comoros | 23.03 | 2020 | down 5.6% | falling |
| 4 | Philippines | 21.14 | 2020 | up 0.1% | flat |
| 5 | Liberia | 19.88 | 2020 | up 0.8% | flat |
| 6 | Nepal | 19.73 | 2020 | down 7.2% | falling |
| 7 | Guinea-Bissau | 19.55 | 2020 | down 12.1% | falling |
| 8 | Papua New Guinea | 19.38 | 2020 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 9 | Jordan | 18.94 | 2020 | up 14.8% | rising |
| 10 | Madagascar | 18.71 | 2020 | down 4.4% | falling |
| 11 | Mauritius | 18.69 | 2020 | down 3.2% | falling |
| 12 | Burkina Faso | 18.47 | 2020 | down 4.1% | falling |
| 13 | Côte d'Ivoire | 18.29 | 2020 | down 5.0% | falling |
| 14 | Timor-Leste | 18.21 | 2020 | up 8.8% | flat |
| 15 | Sri Lanka | 17.98 | 2020 | down 3.6% | falling |
| 16 | Mozambique | 17.76 | 2020 | down 3.2% | falling |
| 17 | Senegal | 17.25 | 2020 | down 11.5% | falling |
| 18 | Guyana | 17.16 | 2020 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 19 | Botswana | 16.83 | 2020 | down 4.4% | falling |
| 20 | Lao People's Democratic Republic | 16.73 | 2020 | down 3.1% | flat |
| 21 | South Africa | 16.64 | 2020 | down 0.4% | flat |
| 22 | Suriname | 16.46 | 2020 | up 6.7% | rising |
| 23 | Benin | 16.45 | 2020 | down 7.1% | falling |
| 24 | Central African Republic | 16.35 | 2020 | up 4.4% | rising |
| 25 | Trinidad and Tobago | 16.27 | 2020 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 26 | Saint Lucia | 16.25 | 2020 | up 3.3% | rising |
| 27 | Namibia | 15.58 | 2020 | down 3.1% | falling |
| 28 | Malawi | 15.58 | 2020 | down 1.6% | falling |
| 29 | Angola | 15.53 | 2020 | down 2.0% | falling |
| 30 | Bahamas | 15.4 | 2020 | up 1.5% | rising |
| 31 | Antigua and Barbuda | 15.36 | 2020 | up 2.8% | rising |
| 32 | Eritrea | 15.16 | 2020 | down 1.8% | falling |
| 33 | Burundi | 14.78 | 2020 | down 2.7% | falling |
| 34 | Morocco | 14.77 | 2020 | down 10.5% | falling |
| 35 | Gabon | 14.65 | 2020 | down 2.8% | flat |
| 36 | Guatemala | 14.49 | 2020 | up 1.0% | flat |
| 37 | Lesotho | 14.45 | 2020 | down 2.2% | flat |
| 38 | Ghana | 14.42 | 2020 | down 4.6% | falling |
| 39 | Kuwait | 14.37 | 2020 | up 20.0% | rising |
| 40 | Togo | 14.28 | 2020 | down 6.7% | falling |
| 41 | United Arab Emirates | 13.94 | 2020 | up 1.6% | rising |
| 42 | Malaysia | 13.81 | 2020 | up 7.6% | rising |
| 43 | Maldives | 13.72 | 2020 | down 0.6% | flat |
| 44 | Jamaica | 13.68 | 2020 | down 5.4% | falling |
| 45 | Brunei Darussalam | 13.64 | 2020 | up 4.6% | rising |
| 46 | Palau | 13.53 | 2020 | down 1.3% | flat |
| 47 | Dominican Republic | 13.44 | 2020 | up 13.9% | rising |
| 48 | Gambia | 13.25 | 2020 | down 3.9% | falling |
| 49 | Oman | 13.24 | 2020 | down 0.7% | flat |
| 50 | Solomon Islands | 13.23 | 2020 | up 0.2% | flat |
| 51 | Honduras | 13.09 | 2020 | up 6.4% | rising |
| 52 | Vanuatu | 13.06 | 2020 | up 3.5% | rising |
| 53 | Türkiye | 12.9 | 2020 | down 10.2% | falling |
| 54 | Lebanon | 12.6 | 2020 | up 3.8% | flat |
| 55 | Cameroon | 12.51 | 2020 | down 3.3% | falling |
| 56 | Myanmar | 12.48 | 2020 | down 1.4% | flat |
| 57 | Seychelles | 12.48 | 2020 | up 1.5% | flat |
| 58 | Bahrain | 12.44 | 2020 | up 9.2% | rising |
| 59 | Congo | 11.93 | 2020 | up 0.8% | falling |
| 60 | Zimbabwe | 11.83 | 2020 | down 4.7% | falling |
| 61 | Belize | 11.56 | 2020 | up 3.5% | rising |
| 62 | Cambodia | 11.45 | 2020 | down 11.8% | falling |
| 63 | Bhutan | 11.43 | 2020 | down 2.6% | falling |
| 64 | Greece | 11.41 | 2020 | up 6.9% | rising |
| 65 | Bulgaria | 11.36 | 2020 | up 5.1% | rising |
| 66 | Japan | 11.3 | 2020 | up 2.5% | flat |
| 67 | Zambia | 11.25 | 2020 | down 7.9% | falling |
| 68 | Sao Tome and Principe | 11.11 | 2020 | up 5.2% | rising |
| 69 | Azerbaijan | 11.04 | 2020 | up 0.8% | flat |
| 70 | Colombia | 10.95 | 2020 | up 5.6% | rising |
| 71 | Singapore | 10.95 | 2020 | up 3.1% | flat |
| 72 | Iraq | 10.86 | 2020 | up 1.4% | rising |
| 73 | Ecuador | 10.63 | 2020 | down 3.8% | falling |
| 74 | Palestine, State of | 10.37 | 2020 | up 6.7% | rising |
| 75 | Sierra Leone | 10.34 | 2020 | down 11.8% | falling |
| 76 | Thailand | 10.3 | 2020 | down 2.4% | falling |
| 77 | Panama | 10.28 | 2020 | down 5.9% | falling |
| 78 | Cook Islands | 10.26 | 2020 | up 1.7% | flat |
| 79 | El Salvador | 10.22 | 2020 | down 2.0% | flat |
| 80 | Eswatini | 10.2 | 2020 | down 4.4% | falling |
| 81 | Congo, Democratic Republic of the | 10.16 | 2020 | down 10.1% | falling |
| 82 | Mexico | 10.15 | 2020 | up 0.0% | flat |
| 83 | Kenya | 9.97 | 2020 | down 8.3% | falling |
| 84 | Paraguay | 9.96 | 2020 | down 0.8% | flat |
| 85 | Qatar | 9.96 | 2020 | up 0.9% | flat |
| 86 | Indonesia | 9.93 | 2020 | down 6.3% | falling |
| 87 | Tanzania, United Republic of | 9.7 | 2020 | down 9.7% | falling |
| 88 | Spain | 9.64 | 2020 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 89 | Rwanda | 9.4 | 2020 | up 2.3% | rising |
| 90 | Andorra | 9.39 | 2020 | up 4.0% | rising |
| 91 | Venezuela, Bolivarian Republic of | 9.3 | 2020 | up 4.1% | rising |
| 92 | Kiribati | 9.03 | 2020 | down 4.1% | flat |
| 93 | Israel | 8.98 | 2020 | down 5.4% | falling |
| 94 | Portugal | 8.92 | 2020 | up 9.5% | rising |
| 95 | Romania | 8.82 | 2020 | down 8.2% | falling |
| 96 | Costa Rica | 8.72 | 2020 | up 2.8% | flat |
| 97 | Tajikistan | 8.72 | 2020 | down 7.4% | falling |
| 98 | Brazil | 8.7 | 2020 | up 4.9% | rising |
| 99 | Hungary | 8.32 | 2020 | down 1.3% | flat |
| 100 | North Macedonia | 8.29 | 2020 | up 1.8% | flat |
| 101 | Armenia | 8.27 | 2020 | up 0.2% | flat |
| 102 | United States | 8.26 | 2020 | up 1.7% | rising |
| 103 | Tunisia | 8.24 | 2020 | up 2.5% | rising |
| 104 | Bolivia, Plurinational State of | 7.93 | 2020 | down 5.7% | falling |
| 105 | Slovakia | 7.82 | 2020 | up 5.8% | rising |
| 106 | Uruguay | 7.8 | 2020 | down 3.5% | falling |
| 107 | Luxembourg | 7.75 | 2020 | up 4.8% | rising |
| 108 | Czechia | 7.61 | 2020 | up 6.2% | rising |
| 109 | Peru | 7.47 | 2020 | down 13.4% | falling |
| 110 | Republic of Korea | 7.46 | 2020 | up 24.5% | rising |
| 111 | France | 7.43 | 2020 | down 1.5% | flat |
| 112 | Georgia | 7.42 | 2020 | up 8.8% | rising |
| 113 | Fiji | 7.4 | 2020 | down 0.0% | flat |
| 114 | Argentina | 7.36 | 2020 | up 1.6% | flat |
| 115 | Russian Federation | 7.27 | 2020 | up 0.5% | flat |
| 116 | Italy | 7.21 | 2020 | up 3.2% | rising |
| 117 | Algeria | 7.2 | 2020 | up 4.9% | rising |
| 118 | Malta | 7.18 | 2020 | up 4.0% | rising |
| 119 | Cuba | 7.06 | 2020 | down 1.7% | flat |
| 120 | Chile | 6.84 | 2020 | up 14.4% | rising |
| 121 | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 6.83 | 2020 | down 5.1% | falling |
| 122 | Monaco | 6.82 | 2020 | down 4.4% | falling |
| 123 | Belgium | 6.76 | 2020 | down 3.7% | falling |
| 124 | Germany | 6.71 | 2020 | down 2.0% | flat |
| 125 | Canada | 6.63 | 2020 | up 7.9% | rising |
| 126 | Australia | 6.55 | 2020 | up 2.9% | rising |
| 127 | Republic of Moldova | 6.47 | 2020 | down 0.6% | flat |
| 128 | Switzerland | 6.42 | 2020 | up 0.8% | flat |
| 129 | Viet Nam | 6.31 | 2020 | down 21.3% | falling |
| 130 | Austria | 6.31 | 2020 | down 6.5% | falling |
| 131 | Slovenia | 6.29 | 2020 | up 3.0% | rising |
| 132 | Montenegro | 6.23 | 2020 | down 2.4% | flat |
| 133 | Serbia | 6.2 | 2020 | up 3.5% | rising |
| 134 | Kyrgyzstan | 6.04 | 2020 | down 7.2% | falling |
| 135 | Albania | 5.99 | 2020 | up 0.2% | flat |
| 136 | New Zealand | 5.86 | 2020 | down 3.3% | flat |
| 137 | Uzbekistan | 5.85 | 2020 | up 1.1% | rising |
| 138 | Ukraine | 5.73 | 2020 | down 3.9% | falling |
| 139 | Netherlands | 5.65 | 2020 | down 8.4% | falling |
| 140 | Ireland | 5.65 | 2020 | up 5.6% | rising |
| 141 | Poland | 5.61 | 2020 | down 3.3% | falling |
| 142 | Kazakhstan | 5.29 | 2020 | down 9.0% | falling |
| 143 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 5.15 | 2020 | up 0.2% | flat |
| 144 | Belarus | 5.12 | 2020 | up 2.0% | flat |
| 145 | Croatia | 4.99 | 2020 | down 0.3% | flat |
| 146 | China | 4.97 | 2020 | down 4.0% | falling |
| 147 | Mongolia | 4.9 | 2020 | down 18.9% | falling |
| 148 | Denmark | 4.81 | 2020 | down 6.7% | falling |
| 149 | Norway | 4.44 | 2020 | down 7.3% | falling |
| 150 | Lithuania | 4.4 | 2020 | down 6.2% | flat |
| 151 | Turkmenistan | 4.29 | 2020 | down 15.1% | falling |
| 152 | San Marino | 4.24 | 2020 | up 6.1% | rising |
| 153 | Latvia | 4.23 | 2020 | down 8.2% | falling |
| 154 | Estonia | 4.17 | 2020 | down 6.3% | falling |
| 155 | Sweden | 4.12 | 2020 | down 2.6% | flat |
| 156 | Finland | 4.07 | 2020 | down 1.4% | falling |
| 157 | Iceland | 3.99 | 2020 | up 5.9% | rising |
Regions and income groups
Aggregates are excluded from the country ranking above so that a region can never outrank a country.
- South Asia (World Bank regions) 26.58
- South-East Asia (WHO regions) 25.6
- South Asia (UNICEF Prog.regions) 24.78
- Asia Meridional 24.78
- ESCAP_SAARC (SAARC) 24.78
- Southern Asia (UNSDG) 24.36
- ESCAP_South and South-West Asia (SSWA) 24
- Central and Southern Asia (UNSDG) 23.46
- ESCAP_WB Lower Middle Income Economies 23.02
- ESCAP_LDC (LDC_E) 20
- World Bank (lower middle income) 19.53
- (SDGRC) ECA_Small Island states 18.73
- (SDGRC) ECA_Island economies 18.7
- ESCAP_WB Low Income Economies 18.6
- Melanesia (UNSDG) 18.11
- Oceania (exc. Australia and New Zealand) (UNSDG) 17.94
- ESCAP_Pacific island developing economies (PIDE) 17.94
- ESCAP_All countries 17.34
- Asia (UNSDG) 17.29
- ESCAP_Small Islands Developing States 17.08
- Polynesia (UNSDG) 16.9
- ESCAP_Countries with Special Needs 16.76
- (SDGRC) ECA_Southern Africa Customs Union (SACU) 16.33
- Southern Africa (UNSDG) 16.33
- Eastern Mediterranean (WHO regions) 15.79
- (SDGRC) ECA_Land-locked LDCs 15.56
- Middle East and North Africa (World Bank regions) 15.5
- (SDGRC) ECA_Land-locked countries 15.41
- (SDGRC) Southern Africa 15.4
- Southern Africa (African Union) 15.39
- Países menos adelantados 15.36
- UNICEF SP Humanitarian 15.15
- UNICEF SP High burden 15.12
- ECLAC_Carribean 14.89
- (SDGRC) ECA_Non-Oil LDCs 14.89
- (SDGRC) ESCWA_Mashreq subregion 14.88
- SDG regions - Global (UNSDG) 14.79
- Landlocked developing countries (LLDC) (UNSDG) 14.67
- World Bank (low income) 14.65
- Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) 14.59