Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Ireland

Ireland: Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns was 5.65 in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
5.65
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
140th
of 157 countries
All-time high
5.65
in 2020
All-time low
4.79
in 2000
Years of data
21
2000–2020

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

02462000201020202000: 4.82001: 4.82002: 4.92003: 4.92004: 4.92005: 52006: 52007: 5.12008: 5.22009: 5.32010: 5.32011: 5.42012: 5.52013: 5.52014: 5.52015: 5.52016: 5.52017: 5.52018: 5.62019: 5.62020: 5.6

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

Ireland recorded 5.65 for prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in 2020. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 5.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Ireland peaked at 5.65 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4.79, in 2000.

Ireland ranks 140th 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 Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Ireland, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 4.79
2001 4.82 +0.6%
2002 4.85 +0.6%
2003 4.88 +0.6%
2004 4.92 +0.7%
2005 4.96 +0.8%
2006 5.01 +1.1%
2007 5.08 +1.4%
2008 5.17 +1.7%
2009 5.26 +1.8%
2010 5.34 +1.6%
2011 5.42 +1.4%
2012 5.47 +1.0%
2013 5.5 +0.5%
2014 5.51 +0.3%
2015 5.52 +0.1%
2016 5.52 +0.1%
2017 5.54 +0.3%
2018 5.56 +0.4%
2019 5.6 +0.7%
2020 5.65 +0.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 4.97 4.79 5.26 10
2010s 5.5 5.34 5.6 10
2020s 5.65 5.65 5.65 1

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 137 Uzbekistan 5.85 compare
  2. 138 Ukraine 5.73 compare
  3. 139 Netherlands 5.65 compare
  4. 141 Poland 5.61 compare
  5. 142 Kazakhstan 5.29 compare
  6. 143 Bosnia and Herzegovina 5.15 compare

See the full ranking of 313 places →

More health data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Ireland?
Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Ireland was 5.65 in 2020, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 5.65 in 2020.
What is the lowest prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 4.79 in 2000.
How does Ireland rank for prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns?
Ireland ranks 140th out of 157 countries with data for 2020.
Is prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 5.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Ireland 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 Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-low-birth-weight-among-new-borns/ireland/

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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