Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Australia

Australia: Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns was 6.55 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
6.55
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
126th
of 157 countries
All-time high
6.55
in 2020
All-time low
6.22
in 2000
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Australia, 2000–2020

02462000201020202000: 6.22001: 6.22002: 6.32003: 6.32004: 6.32005: 6.32006: 6.32007: 6.32008: 6.32009: 6.32010: 6.42011: 6.42012: 6.42013: 6.42014: 6.42015: 6.52016: 6.52017: 6.52018: 6.52019: 6.52020: 6.6

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

Australia recorded 6.55 for prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in 2020. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Australia peaked at 6.55 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 6.22, in 2000.

Australia ranks 126th of 157 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Australia, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Australia, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 6.22
2001 6.25 +0.4%
2002 6.27 +0.3%
2003 6.28 +0.2%
2004 6.29 +0.2%
2005 6.3 +0.1%
2006 6.3 +0.1%
2007 6.31 +0.1%
2008 6.33 +0.2%
2009 6.35 +0.3%
2010 6.37 +0.4%
2011 6.39 +0.4%
2012 6.42 +0.3%
2013 6.43 +0.3%
2014 6.45 +0.2%
2015 6.46 +0.2%
2016 6.48 +0.2%
2017 6.49 +0.3%
2018 6.51 +0.3%
2019 6.53 +0.3%
2020 6.55 +0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 6.29 6.22 6.35 10
2010s 6.45 6.37 6.53 10
2020s 6.55 6.55 6.55 1

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 123 Belgium 6.76 compare
  2. 124 Germany 6.71 compare
  3. 125 Canada 6.63 compare
  4. 127 Republic of Moldova 6.47 compare
  5. 128 Switzerland 6.42 compare
  6. 129 Viet Nam 6.31 compare

See the full ranking of 313 places →

More health data for Australia

All data for Australia →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Australia?
Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Australia was 6.55 in 2020, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 6.55 in 2020.
What is the lowest prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 6.22 in 2000.
How does Australia rank for prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns?
Australia ranks 126th out of 157 countries with data for 2020.
Is prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-low-birth-weight-among-new-borns/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
313 places, 6,573 data points, 2000–2020
Last refreshed