Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in New Zealand

New Zealand: Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns was 5.86 in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
5.86
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
136th
of 157 countries
All-time high
6.18
in 2000
All-time low
5.86
in 2020
Years of data
21
2000–2020

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

02462000201020202000: 6.22001: 6.22002: 6.12003: 6.12004: 6.12005: 6.12006: 6.12007: 6.12008: 6.12009: 6.12010: 6.12011: 62012: 62013: 62014: 62015: 62016: 5.92017: 5.92018: 5.92019: 5.92020: 5.9

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

New Zealand recorded 5.86 for prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.3% on the previous year and down 3.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in New Zealand peaked at 6.18 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 5.86, in 2020.

New Zealand ranks 136th of 157 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

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

Annual values for Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in New Zealand, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 6.18
2001 6.16 -0.3%
2002 6.13 -0.4%
2003 6.11 -0.3%
2004 6.1 -0.3%
2005 6.09 -0.2%
2006 6.08 -0.1%
2007 6.07 -0.1%
2008 6.07 -0.1%
2009 6.06 -0.1%
2010 6.05 -0.2%
2011 6.04 -0.2%
2012 6.02 -0.3%
2013 6 -0.3%
2014 5.98 -0.4%
2015 5.96 -0.4%
2016 5.93 -0.4%
2017 5.91 -0.4%
2018 5.89 -0.3%
2019 5.87 -0.3%
2020 5.86 -0.3%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 6.1 6.06 6.18 10
2010s 5.97 5.87 6.05 10
2020s 5.86 5.86 5.86 1

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 133 Serbia 6.2 compare
  2. 134 Kyrgyzstan 6.04 compare
  3. 135 Albania 5.99 compare
  4. 137 Uzbekistan 5.85 compare
  5. 138 Ukraine 5.73 compare
  6. 139 Netherlands 5.65 compare

See the full ranking of 313 places →

More health data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in New Zealand?
Prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns in New Zealand was 5.86 in 2020, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns recorded in New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 6.18 in 2000.
What is the lowest prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 5.86 in 2020.
How does New Zealand rank for prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns?
New Zealand ranks 136th out of 157 countries with data for 2020.
Is prevalence of low birth weight among new-borns rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this New Zealand 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 New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-low-birth-weight-among-new-borns/new-zealand/

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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