Which country has the highest Birth Defect Rate?

Sudan has the highest Birth Defect Rate in 2006, at 82 per 1k births, followed by Saudi Arabia (81.3 per 1k births) and Benin (77.9 per 1k births).

Which country has the lowest Birth Defect Rate?

France has the lowest Birth Defect Rate in 2006, at 39.7 per 1k births.

What is the median Birth Defect Rate across countries?

The median is 54.85 per 1k births across the 194 countries with data in 2006.

Where does this birth defect rates by country data come from?

Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Global Report on Birth Defects 2006 - March of Dimes; Global Burden of Disease - Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.

Country rankings

Birth Defect Rates by Country

Name: Birth Defect Rates by Country
Creator: Rankodex

Sudan has the highest Birth Defect Rate in 2006 (82 per 1k births), followed by Saudi Arabia (81.3 per 1k births) and Benin (77.9 per 1k births). France has the lowest (39.7 per 1k births).

Health205 countries · 8 metricsUpdated Jun 12, 2025Original page

2 sources

Showing

Year 2006194 of 235 countries

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Birth Defect Rate, 2006

Darker means higher. Click a place to highlight it.

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Ranking

Highest first: the first 15 and last 5 of 194 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

54.85 per 1k births

Middle half 52.13 per 1k births – 61.4 per 1k births

Average

57.4 per 1k births

194 countries

Highest

82 per 1k births

Sudan

Lowest

39.7 per 1k births

France

Data

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

194 countries · # = rank by Birth Defect Rate

#
1	Sudan	82 per 1k births	89,997
2	Saudi Arabia	81.3 per 1k births	58,108
3	Benin	77.9 per 1k births	20,962
4	Burkina Faso	77 per 1k births	42,951
5	Palestine	76.6 per 1k births	10,105
6	United Arab Emirates	75.9 per 1k births	3,114
7	Iraq	75.2 per 1k births	61,862
7	Tajikistan	75.2 per 1k births	11,205
9	Afghanistan	74.9 per 1k births	80,741
9	Kuwait	74.9 per 1k births	2,624
11	Syria	74.8 per 1k births	37,008
11	Oman	74.8 per 1k births	7,032
13	Pakistan	74.3 per 1k births	396,920
14	Nigeria	73.5 per 1k births	345,753
14	Kyrgyzstan	73.5 per 1k births	7,424
16	Qatar	73.4 per 1k births	734
16	Bahrain	73.4 per 1k births	807
18	Jordan	73.3 per 1k births	12,388
19	Libya	73.1 per 1k births	10,673
20	Tunisia	73 per 1k births	12,857
21	Morocco	72.7 per 1k births	56,321
22	Yemen	72.3 per 1k births	68,881
23	Guinea	72.1 per 1k births	26,300
24	DR Congo	71.7 per 1k births	179,639
24	Republic of the Congo	71.7 per 1k births	9,965
26	Angola	71.5 per 1k births	49,865
26	Gabon	71.5 per 1k births	3,432
28	Sierra Leone	71.3 per 1k births	16,734
29	Djibouti	70.8 per 1k births	1,771
30	Laos	67.5 per 1k births	13,299
31	Algeria	66.9 per 1k births	50,207
32	Ghana	66.6 per 1k births	43,460
33	Equatorial Guinea	65.9 per 1k births	1,318
34	Egypt	65.3 per 1k births	109,209
35	Liberia	64.9 per 1k births	11,155
36	Iran	64.5 per 1k births	102,681
36	Cambodia	64.5 per 1k births	30,905
38	Niger	64.4 per 1k births	40,232
39	India	64.3 per 1k births	1,613,502
40	Azerbaijan	63.1 per 1k births	6,753
41	Togo	63 per 1k births	11,461
41	Lebanon	63 per 1k births	4,350
43	Ivory Coast	62.7 per 1k births	36,418
44	Gambia	62.5 per 1k births	3,186
44	Sao Tome and Principe	62.5 per 1k births	375
46	Sri Lanka	62.2 per 1k births	20,652
47	Turkey	62 per 1k births	88,288
48	Mali	61.4 per 1k births	35,793
48	Senegal	61.4 per 1k births	22,400
48	Guinea-Bissau	61.4 per 1k births	3,375
51	Bahamas	61.2 per 1k births	367
52	Uganda	60.9 per 1k births	74,468
53	Cameroon	60.8 per 1k births	33,921
53	Maldives	60.8 per 1k births	670
55	Zambia	60.6 per 1k births	27,130
56	Tanzania	60.5 per 1k births	84,344
57	Timor-Leste	60.3 per 1k births	140
58	Central African Republic	60.1 per 1k births	8,661
59	Thailand	59.9 per 1k births	70,045
59	Nepal	59.9 per 1k births	49,180
61	Indonesia	59.3 per 1k births	263,154
61	Saint Kitts and Nevis	59.3 per 1k births	44
63	San Marino	59.2 per 1k births	17
64	Bangladesh	58.6 per 1k births	251,221
64	Jamaica	58.6 per 1k births	3,163
66	Myanmar	58.5 per 1k births	68,587
67	Haiti	58.4 per 1k births	14,942
67	Bhutan	58.4 per 1k births	4,378
69	Chad	57.7 per 1k births	22,857
70	Antigua and Barbuda	57.4 per 1k births	57
71	Mozambique	57.3 per 1k births	45,526
71	Madagascar	57.3 per 1k births	39,903
73	Brazil	57.2 per 1k births	192,260
74	Saint Lucia	57 per 1k births	171
75	Ecuador	56.8 per 1k births	17,497
75	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	56.8 per 1k births	115
77	Grenada	56.7 per 1k births	113
78	Burundi	56.6 per 1k births	16,066
79	Malawi	56.3 per 1k births	29,567
80	Malaysia	56 per 1k births	29,214
80	Zimbabwe	56 per 1k births	25,694
80	Barbados	56 per 1k births	168
80	Dominica	56 per 1k births	56
84	Kenya	55.8 per 1k births	60,283
85	Dominican Republic	55.7 per 1k births	11,189
86	Colombia	55.5 per 1k births	54,347
86	Trinidad and Tobago	55.5 per 1k births	944
88	Bolivia	55.4 per 1k births	14,779
89	Mauritania	55.2 per 1k births	6,620
89	Moldova	55.2 per 1k births	2,760
91	Vietnam	55.1 per 1k births	87,333
91	Turkmenistan	55.1 per 1k births	6,998
93	Romania	55 per 1k births	12,825
93	Rwanda	55 per 1k births	17,598
93	Greece	55 per 1k births	5,280
93	Belarus	55 per 1k births	5,005
93	Paraguay	55 per 1k births	9,342
98	Brunei	54.7 per 1k births	382
99	Peru	54.6 per 1k births	33,090
99	Comoros	54.6 per 1k births	1,528
101	Ukraine	54.5 per 1k births	21,800
101	Honduras	54.5 per 1k births	11,109
101	Papua New Guinea	54.5 per 1k births	9,762
104	Ethiopia	54.4 per 1k births	154,944
104	South Korea	54.4 per 1k births	33,220
104	Somalia	54.4 per 1k births	26,169
104	Eritrea	54.4 per 1k births	8,270
108	Singapore	54.2 per 1k births	2,601
108	Belize	54.2 per 1k births	325
110	Uzbekistan	54.1 per 1k births	28,836
110	North Korea	54.1 per 1k births	20,925
110	Kazakhstan	54.1 per 1k births	14,229
110	Cape Verde	54.1 per 1k births	702
114	Serbia	53.9 per 1k births	6,474
114	Mongolia	53.9 per 1k births	3,053
114	Botswana	53.9 per 1k births	2,639
114	Lesotho	53.9 per 1k births	3,663
114	Guyana	53.9 per 1k births	915
114	Montenegro	53.9 per 1k births	6,474
120	Namibia	53.8 per 1k births	3,387
120	Bosnia and Herzegovina	53.8 per 1k births	2,100
120	Seychelles	53.8 per 1k births	162
123	Cyprus	53.7 per 1k births	590
123	Suriname	53.7 per 1k births	430
125	Panama	53.6 per 1k births	3,268
125	Georgia	53.6 per 1k births	3,002
125	Eswatini	53.6 per 1k births	1,714
128	Mauritius	53.5 per 1k births	1,017
129	South Africa	53.4 per 1k births	58,962
129	Guatemala	53.4 per 1k births	21,821
129	Armenia	53.4 per 1k births	1,922
129	North Macedonia	53.4 per 1k births	1,336
133	El Salvador	53.1 per 1k births	8,870
134	Ireland	53 per 1k births	3,021
135	Mexico	52.9 per 1k births	121,464
135	Philippines	52.9 per 1k births	109,239
135	Poland	52.9 per 1k births	19,573
135	Nicaragua	52.9 per 1k births	9,144
135	Albania	52.9 per 1k births	3,050
140	Chile	52.7 per 1k births	15,125
141	Uruguay	52.6 per 1k births	3,051
141	Malta	52.6 per 1k births	263
143	Argentina	52.5 per 1k births	37,976
144	Venezuela	52.4 per 1k births	30,212
145	Tonga	52.2 per 1k births	104
146	Solomon Islands	52.1 per 1k births	938
146	Vanuatu	52.1 per 1k births	313
146	Samoa	52.1 per 1k births	208
146	Tuvalu	52.1 per 1k births	16
150	Lithuania	52 per 1k births	1,716
151	Liechtenstein	51.9 per 1k births	24
152	Japan	51.7 per 1k births	61,668
152	Luxembourg	51.7 per 1k births	259
154	Iceland	51.6 per 1k births	206
154	Andorra	51.6 per 1k births	52
156	Costa Rica	51.5 per 1k births	4,739
156	Micronesia	51.5 per 1k births	206
156	Niue	51.5 per 1k births	2
159	Monaco	51.4 per 1k births	26
160	Bulgaria	51.3 per 1k births	3,179
160	Kiribati	51.3 per 1k births	154
160	Palau	51.3 per 1k births	13
160	Cook Islands	51.3 per 1k births	23
164	China	51.2 per 1k births	963,997
164	Fiji	51.2 per 1k births	1,024
164	Nauru	51.2 per 1k births	12
167	Latvia	51.1 per 1k births	920
168	Estonia	51 per 1k births	612
169	Slovakia	50.7 per 1k births	2,789
170	Croatia	50.4 per 1k births	2,721
171	Hungary	48.9 per 1k births	4,348
172	Israel	48.5 per 1k births	6,106
173	Netherlands	48 per 1k births	8,399
174	Portugal	47.9 per 1k births	5,413
175	United States	47.8 per 1k births	182,786
176	Cuba	47.2 per 1k births	6,329
177	New Zealand	46.7 per 1k births	2,473
178	Denmark	46.5 per 1k births	2,835
179	Slovenia	46.3 per 1k births	788
180	Norway	45.6 per 1k births	2,417
181	Canada	45.5 per 1k births	15,545
182	Sweden	45.1 per 1k births	3,382
183	Czechia	44.9 per 1k births	4,043
184	Belgium	44.6 per 1k births	4,552
185	Germany	43.8 per 1k births	30,543
185	United Kingdom	43.8 per 1k births	28,602
185	Finland	43.8 per 1k births	2,276
188	Spain	43.4 per 1k births	15,586
189	Italy	43.2 per 1k births	21,838
190	Russia	42.9 per 1k births	52,721
191	Switzerland	42.5 per 1k births	2,763
192	Australia	41.7 per 1k births	10,387
193	Austria	41.6 per 1k births	2,956
194	France	39.7 per 1k births	29,084

What correlates with Birth Defect Rate (2006)?

Pearson r against 1,401 other country metrics sharing at least 117 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 Birth Defect Rate tend to score higher on these (or rank better)

Teetotalers MaleTeetotalism by Country
r = +0.67 · strong · n = 186
Plot
TeetotalersTeetotalism by Country
r = +0.67 · strong · n = 186
Plot
Teetotalers FemaleTeetotalism by Country
r = +0.67 · strong · n = 186
Plot
Average Household SizeNumber of Households by Country
r = +0.66 · strong · n = 167
Plot
ObjectiveLists Conservative Country ScoreMost Conservative Countries
r = +0.66 · strong · n = 156
Plot
6+ Member HouseholdNumber of Households by Country
r = +0.65 · strong · n = 171
Plot

Opposite directions

Places that have a higher Birth Defect Rate tend to score lower on these (or rank worse)

Environmental QualitySocial Progress Index by Country
r = −0.73 · very strong · n = 169
Plot
Females 15+Banked Population by Country
r = −0.72 · very strong · n = 118
Plot
Homophobic Climate Index Rank (UN)Most Homophobic CountriesA rank: rank 1 is the worst
r = −0.71 · very strong · n = 155
Plot
Inclusive SocietySocial Progress Index by Country
r = −0.71 · very strong · n = 166
Plot
EIU Electoral Process ScoreDemocracy Index by Country
r = −0.71 · very strong · n = 129
Plot
Total 15+Banked Population by Country
r = −0.70 · strong · n = 118
Plot

Quick answers

Which country has the highest Birth Defect Rate?: Sudan has the highest Birth Defect Rate in 2006, at 82 per 1k births, followed by Saudi Arabia (81.3 per 1k births) and Benin (77.9 per 1k births).
Which country has the lowest Birth Defect Rate?: France has the lowest Birth Defect Rate in 2006, at 39.7 per 1k births.
What is the median Birth Defect Rate across countries?: The median is 54.85 per 1k births across the 194 countries with data in 2006.
Where does this birth defect rates by country data come from?: Rankodex compiles it from World Population Review and the primary sources it cites: Global Report on Birth Defects 2006 - March of Dimes; Global Burden of Disease - Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation.