Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in ESCAP_All countries

ESCAP_All countries: Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns was 17.34 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
17.34
Change on year
up 2.0%
Rank
18th
of 156 groups
All-time high
19.81
in 2001
All-time low
16.62
in 2017
Years of data
21
2000–2020

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

051015202000201020202000: 19.72001: 19.82002: 19.72003: 19.52004: 19.32005: 19.12006: 18.82007: 18.52008: 18.22009: 182010: 17.92011: 17.72012: 17.32013: 17.32014: 16.92015: 172016: 16.82017: 16.62018: 172019: 172020: 17.3

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

ESCAP_All countries recorded 17.34 for prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in 2020.

The figure is up 2.0% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in ESCAP_All countries peaked at 19.81 in 2001 and was at its lowest, 16.62, in 2017.

That places ESCAP_All countries 18th out of 156 groups 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 ESCAP_All countries, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in ESCAP_All countries, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 19.67
2001 19.81 +0.7%
2002 19.73 -0.4%
2003 19.54 -1.0%
2004 19.32 -1.1%
2005 19.07 -1.3%
2006 18.77 -1.6%
2007 18.48 -1.5%
2008 18.22 -1.4%
2009 18.05 -1.0%
2010 17.88 -0.9%
2011 17.72 -0.9%
2012 17.31 -2.3%
2013 17.28 -0.2%
2014 16.92 -2.0%
2015 17.02 +0.6%
2016 16.8 -1.3%
2017 16.62 -1.0%
2018 17.02 +2.4%
2019 17 -0.1%
2020 17.34 +2.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 19.07 18.05 19.81 10
2010s 17.16 16.62 17.88 10
2020s 17.34 17.34 17.34 1

Countries ranked near ESCAP_All countries

  1. 15 Sri Lanka 17.98 compare
  2. 16 Mozambique 17.76 compare
  3. 17 Senegal 17.25 compare
  4. 18 Guyana 17.16 compare
  5. 19 Botswana 16.83 compare
  6. 20 Lao People's Democratic Republic 16.73 compare
  7. 21 South Africa 16.64 compare

See the full ranking of 313 places →

More health data for ESCAP_All countries

All data for ESCAP_All countries →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in ESCAP_All countries?
Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in ESCAP_All countries was 17.34 in 2020, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns recorded in ESCAP_All countries?
The highest recorded value was 19.81 in 2001.
What is the lowest prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns recorded in ESCAP_All countries?
The lowest recorded value was 16.62 in 2017.
How does ESCAP_All countries rank for prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns?
ESCAP_All countries ranks 18th out of 156 groups with data for 2020.
Is prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns rising or falling in ESCAP_All countries?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this ESCAP_All countries 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 ESCAP_All countries. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-low-birth-weight-among-new-borns/escap-all-countries/

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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