Country rankings

Average Birth Weight by Country

India has the highest Low Birth Weight (LBW) Estimate in 2020 (27.4%), followed by Bangladesh (23.0%) and Comoros (23.0%). Iceland has the lowest (4%).

HealthPopulation158 countries · 3 metricsUpdated Sep 14, 2024Original page
1 source
Year 2020158 of 235 countries
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Low Birth Weight (LBW) Estimate, 2020

Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.

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Ranking

Highest first: the first 15 and last 5 of 158 countries.

Distribution Median and middle halfThe median is the middle value: half of places are above it, half below. The middle half is the range holding the central 50% of places.More in the glossary →

Each dot is one country; the lines mark the median and the middle half.

Median
10.2%
Middle half 7.2% – 14.2%
Average
10.9%
158 countries
Highest
27.4%
India
Lowest
4%
Iceland

Data

Click a column to sort, a row to highlight that place on the charts.

158 countries · # = rank by Low Birth Weight (LBW) Estimate
#
1India27.4%25.4%29.5%
2Bangladesh23.0%20.8%25.5%
2Comoros23.0%19.3%27.3%
4Philippines21.1%17.5%25.4%
5Liberia19.9%17.4%22.6%
6Nepal19.7%17.7%22.0%
7Guinea-Bissau19.5%17.3%22.0%
8Papua New Guinea19.4%16.8%22.2%
9Jordan18.9%17.1%20.8%
10Madagascar18.7%16.7%20.8%
10Mauritius18.7%13.1%26.1%
12Burkina Faso18.5%15.6%21.7%
13Ivory Coast18.3%16.2%20.7%
14Timor-Leste18.2%15.3%21.4%
15Sri Lanka18.0%15.9%20.3%
16Mozambique17.8%15.1%20.7%
17Senegal17.2%15.8%18.8%
17Guyana17.2%14.9%19.7%
19Botswana16.8%10.9%25.2%
20Laos16.7%14.9%18.9%
21South Africa16.6%14.2%19.4%
22Suriname16.5%15.2%17.8%
23Benin16.4%14.8%18.2%
23Central African Republic16.4%14.5%18.4%
25Trinidad and Tobago16.3%12.1%21.6%
25Saint Lucia16.3%12.4%21.1%
27Malawi15.6%14.2%17.1%
27Namibia15.6%13.4%18.0%
29Angola15.5%11.3%20.9%
30Bahamas15.4%10.6%22.1%
30Antigua and Barbuda15.4%11.6%20.0%
32Eritrea15.2%12.0%18.9%
33Morocco14.8%12.9%16.9%
33Burundi14.8%13.0%16.7%
35Gabon14.6%12.0%17.7%
36Guatemala14.5%12.6%16.6%
37Ghana14.4%12.7%16.3%
37Kuwait14.4%13.0%15.8%
37Lesotho14.4%12.6%16.5%
40Togo14.3%12.5%16.2%
41United Arab Emirates13.9%12.8%15.2%
42Malaysia13.8%12.8%14.9%
43Jamaica13.7%11.8%15.8%
43Maldives13.7%11.2%16.7%
45Brunei13.6%12.6%14.8%
46Palau13.5%8.6%20.6%
47Dominican Republic13.4%11.9%15.1%
48Oman13.2%8.9%19.2%
48Gambia13.2%12.0%14.6%
48Solomon Islands13.2%11.1%15.7%
51Honduras13.1%11.6%14.7%
51Vanuatu13.1%10.3%16.6%
53Turkey12.9%11.4%14.5%
54Lebanon12.6%8.7%17.8%
55Myanmar12.5%9.7%15.9%
55Cameroon12.5%10.3%15.1%
55Seychelles12.5%10.8%14.5%
58Bahrain12.4%11.5%13.5%
59Republic of the Congo11.9%10.2%14.0%
60Zimbabwe11.8%10.7%13.0%
61Belize11.6%9.5%14.1%
62Cambodia11.4%9.8%13.3%
62Greece11.4%10.5%12.4%
62Bulgaria11.4%10.5%12.3%
62Bhutan11.4%8.9%14.6%
66Japan11.3%10.4%12.2%
67Zambia11.2%10.0%12.6%
68Sao Tome and Principe11.1%9.5%12.9%
69Colombia11.0%10.1%11.9%
69Azerbaijan11.0%8.9%13.5%
69Singapore11.0%10.1%11.9%
72Iraq10.9%7.3%15.8%
73Ecuador10.6%9.8%11.5%
74Palestine10.4%9.3%11.6%
75Thailand10.3%9%11.8%
75Sierra Leone10.3%9.3%11.5%
75Panama10.3%9.5%11.1%
75Cook Islands10.3%5.7%17.7%
79Mexico10.2%8.4%12.2%
79DR Congo10.2%8.8%11.6%
79El Salvador10.2%8.6%12.1%
79Eswatini10.2%8.5%12.2%
83Nicaragua10.1%9.3%11.0%
84Kenya10.0%8.5%11.7%
84Paraguay10.0%8.1%12.1%
84Qatar10.0%9.2%10.8%
87Indonesia9.9%8.8%11.2%
88Tanzania9.7%8.4%11.2%
89Spain9.6%8.9%10.4%
90Rwanda9.4%8.5%10.4%
90Andorra9.4%8.3%10.7%
92Venezuela9.3%6.3%13.7%
93Israel9%8.3%9.7%
93Kiribati9%7.3%11.0%
95Portugal8.9%8.7%9.1%
96Romania8.8%8.1%9.5%
97Brazil8.7%8.5%8.9%
97Tajikistan8.7%7.6%9.9%
97Costa Rica8.7%8%9.5%
100United States8.3%8.1%8.4%
100Hungary8.3%8.1%8.5%
100Armenia8.3%6.9%9.9%
100North Macedonia8.3%6.6%10.3%
104Tunisia8.2%7%9.7%
105Bolivia7.9%6.9%9.1%
106Slovakia7.8%7.6%8%
106Uruguay7.8%7.6%8%
108Luxembourg7.7%7.1%8.5%
109Czechia7.6%7.4%7.8%
110South Korea7.5%6.9%8.1%
110Peru7.5%7.1%7.9%
112France7.4%7.2%7.7%
112Argentina7.4%7.2%7.6%
112Georgia7.4%6.8%8.1%
112Fiji7.4%5.7%9.4%
116Russia7.3%6.7%7.9%
117Italy7.2%7%7.4%
117Algeria7.2%6.3%8.2%
117Malta7.2%6.8%7.5%
120Cuba7.1%5.9%8.4%
121United Kingdom6.8%6.7%7%
121Chile6.8%6.7%7%
121Belgium6.8%6.6%6.9%
121Monaco6.8%4.4%10.5%
125Germany6.7%6.5%6.9%
126Canada6.6%6.5%6.8%
126Australia6.6%6.4%6.7%
128Moldova6.5%5.2%8.1%
129Switzerland6.4%6.3%6.6%
130Vietnam6.3%5.4%7.4%
130Austria6.3%6.1%6.5%
130Slovenia6.3%6.1%6.5%
133Serbia6.2%6%6.4%
133Montenegro6.2%4.8%8%
135Kyrgyzstan6%5.6%6.5%
135Albania6%5.5%6.5%
137New Zealand5.9%5.7%6%
138Uzbekistan5.8%5.3%6.4%
139Ukraine5.7%4.9%6.7%
139Netherlands5.7%5.5%5.8%
141Poland5.6%5.5%5.7%
141Ireland5.6%5.5%5.8%
143Kazakhstan5.3%4.4%6.3%
144Bosnia and Herzegovina5.2%4%6.7%
145Belarus5.1%5%5.3%
146China5%4.3%5.8%
146Croatia5%4.8%5.1%
148Mongolia4.9%4.2%5.7%
149Denmark4.8%4.7%4.9%
150Norway4.4%4.3%4.6%
150Lithuania4.4%4.2%4.6%
152Turkmenistan4.3%3.6%5.1%
153Latvia4.2%4.1%4.4%
153Estonia4.2%4%4.3%
153San Marino4.2%3.5%5.1%
156Sweden4.1%4%4.2%
156Finland4.1%4%4.2%
158Iceland4%3.7%4.2%

What correlates with Low Birth Weight (LBW) Estimate (2020)?

Pearson r against 1,448 other country metrics sharing at least 95 countries. Ranks are read by standing: a better rank counts as higher, whether rank 1 is the best place on a list or the worst. Correlation is not causation.

Higher together

Places that have a higher Low Birth Weight (LBW) Estimate tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

  1. Gender Inequality Index ScoreGender Inequality Index by Country
    r = +0.68 · strong · n = 141
    Plot
  2. Still Birth RateStillbirth Rates by Country
    r = +0.66 · strong · n = 157
    Plot
  3. Predicted Temperature CMIP6 (°F)Hottest Countries in the World
    r = +0.65 · strong · n = 155
    Plot
  4. Predicted Temperature CMIP6 (°C)Hottest Countries in the World
    r = +0.65 · strong · n = 155
    Plot
  5. Avg Winter TempBest Weather by Country
    r = +0.65 · strong · n = 157
    Plot
  6. Average Temperature (°C)Hottest Countries in the World
    r = +0.65 · strong · n = 158
    Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Low Birth Weight (LBW) Estimate tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

  1. EPI Safe Drinking Water ScoreWater Quality by Country
    r = −0.69 · strong · n = 145
    Plot
  2. LP EducationLegatum Prosperity IndexA rank: rank 1 is the best
    r = −0.69 · strong · n = 141
    Plot
  3. Average Women's Shoe Size (US sizes)Shoe Size by Country
    r = −0.65 · strong · n = 136
    Plot
  4. Education IndexEducation Index by Country
    r = −0.65 · strong · n = 155
    Plot
  5. EPI Sanitation & Drinking WaterEnvironmental Performance Index by Country
    r = −0.65 · strong · n = 149
    Plot
  6. Foundations & WellbeingSocial Progress Index by Country
    r = −0.65 · strong · n = 142
    Plot

Quick answers

Which country has the highest Low Birth Weight (LBW) Estimate?
India has the highest Low Birth Weight (LBW) Estimate in 2020, at 27.4%, followed by Bangladesh (23.0%) and Comoros (23.0%).
Which country has the lowest Low Birth Weight (LBW) Estimate?
Iceland has the lowest Low Birth Weight (LBW) Estimate in 2020, at 4%.
What is the median Low Birth Weight (LBW) Estimate across countries?
The median is 10.2% across the 158 countries with data in 2020.
Where does this average birth weight by country data come from?
Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Low birthweight - UNICEF.

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