Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Kenya

Kenya: Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns was 9.97 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
9.97
Change on year
down 1.1%
World rank
83rd
of 157 countries
All-time high
11.71
in 2000
All-time low
9.97
in 2020
Years of data
21
2000–2020

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

02.557.51012.52000201020202000: 11.72001: 11.62002: 11.52003: 11.52004: 11.42005: 11.32006: 11.22007: 11.12008: 112009: 10.92010: 10.92011: 10.82012: 10.82013: 10.72014: 10.62015: 10.62016: 10.52017: 10.32018: 10.22019: 10.12020: 10

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

The most recent figure for prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Kenya is 9.97, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.1% on the previous year and down 8.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Kenya peaked at 11.71 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 9.97, in 2020.

Kenya ranks 83rd of 157 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

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

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

Annual values for Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Kenya, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 11.71
2001 11.63 -0.7%
2002 11.54 -0.7%
2003 11.45 -0.8%
2004 11.35 -0.9%
2005 11.25 -0.9%
2006 11.16 -0.8%
2007 11.08 -0.7%
2008 11 -0.7%
2009 10.94 -0.6%
2010 10.87 -0.6%
2011 10.81 -0.5%
2012 10.76 -0.5%
2013 10.71 -0.5%
2014 10.65 -0.6%
2015 10.56 -0.8%
2016 10.46 -1.0%
2017 10.34 -1.2%
2018 10.2 -1.3%
2019 10.08 -1.2%
2020 9.97 -1.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 11.31 10.94 11.71 10
2010s 10.54 10.08 10.87 10
2020s 9.97 9.97 9.97 1

Countries ranked near Kenya

  1. 80 Eswatini 10.2 compare
  2. 81 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 10.16 compare
  3. 82 Mexico 10.15 compare
  4. 84 Paraguay 9.96 compare
  5. 85 Qatar 9.96 compare
  6. 86 Indonesia 9.93 compare

See the full ranking of 313 places →

More health data for Kenya

All data for Kenya →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Kenya?
Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in Kenya was 9.97 in 2020, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns recorded in Kenya?
The highest recorded value was 11.71 in 2000.
What is the lowest prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns recorded in Kenya?
The lowest recorded value was 9.97 in 2020.
How does Kenya rank for prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns?
Kenya ranks 83rd out of 157 countries with data for 2020.
Is prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns rising or falling in Kenya?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Kenya 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 Kenya. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-low-birth-weight-among-new-borns/kenya/

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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