Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Botswana

Botswana: Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns was 16.83 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
16.83
Change on year
down 0.2%
World rank
19th
of 157 countries
All-time high
18.21
in 2003
All-time low
16.83
in 2020
Years of data
21
2000–2020

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

051015202000201020202000: 18.12001: 18.12002: 18.22003: 18.22004: 18.22005: 18.22006: 18.12007: 182008: 17.92009: 17.82010: 17.62011: 17.42012: 17.32013: 17.22014: 17.12015: 172016: 172017: 172018: 16.92019: 16.92020: 16.8

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

In 2020, prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Botswana stood at 16.83. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 4.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Botswana peaked at 18.21 in 2003 and was at its lowest, 16.83, in 2020.

That places Botswana 19th out of 157 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

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

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

Annual values for Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Botswana, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 18.1
2001 18.13 +0.2%
2002 18.19 +0.3%
2003 18.21 +0.1%
2004 18.21 -0.0%
2005 18.17 -0.2%
2006 18.08 -0.5%
2007 18 -0.5%
2008 17.87 -0.7%
2009 17.75 -0.7%
2010 17.61 -0.8%
2011 17.44 -0.9%
2012 17.3 -0.9%
2013 17.17 -0.7%
2014 17.09 -0.5%
2015 17.04 -0.2%
2016 17 -0.3%
2017 16.97 -0.2%
2018 16.91 -0.3%
2019 16.86 -0.3%
2020 16.83 -0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 18.07 17.75 18.21 10
2010s 17.14 16.86 17.61 10
2020s 16.83 16.83 16.83 1

Countries ranked near Botswana

  1. 16 Mozambique 17.76 compare
  2. 17 Senegal 17.25 compare
  3. 18 Guyana 17.16 compare
  4. 20 Lao People's Democratic Republic 16.73 compare
  5. 21 South Africa 16.64 compare
  6. 22 Suriname 16.46 compare

See the full ranking of 313 places →

More health data for Botswana

All data for Botswana →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Botswana?
Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Botswana was 16.83 in 2020, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns recorded in Botswana?
The highest recorded value was 18.21 in 2003.
What is the lowest prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns recorded in Botswana?
The lowest recorded value was 16.83 in 2020.
How does Botswana rank for prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns?
Botswana ranks 19th out of 157 countries with data for 2020.
Is prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns rising or falling in Botswana?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Botswana 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 Botswana. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-low-birth-weight-among-new-borns/botswana/

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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