Share of low birthweight babies born in Australia

Australia: Share of low birthweight babies born was 6.55 in 2020. β–² Rising

Latest (2020)
6.55
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
126th
of 157 countries
All-time high
6.55
in 2020
All-time low
6.22
in 2000
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Share of low birthweight babies born in Australia, 2000–2020

02462000201020202000: 6.22001: 6.22002: 6.32003: 6.32004: 6.32005: 6.32006: 6.32007: 6.32008: 6.32009: 6.32010: 6.42011: 6.42012: 6.42013: 6.42014: 6.42015: 6.52016: 6.52017: 6.52018: 6.52019: 6.52020: 6.6

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of low birthweight babies born in Australia is 6.55, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of low birthweight babies born in Australia peaked at 6.55 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 6.22, in 2000.

Australia ranks 126th 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.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 6.29 6.22 6.35 10
2010s 6.45 6.37 6.53 10
2020s 6.55 6.55 6.55 1

Countries ranked near Australia

  1. 123 Belgium 6.76 compare
  2. 124 Germany 6.71 compare
  3. 125 Canada 6.63 compare
  4. 127 Republic of Moldova 6.47 compare
  5. 128 Switzerland 6.42 compare
  6. 129 Viet Nam 6.31 compare

See the full ranking of 157 places β†’

More population data for Australia

All data for Australia β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is share of low birthweight babies born in Australia?
Share of low birthweight babies born in Australia was 6.55 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of low birthweight babies born recorded in Australia?
The highest recorded value was 6.55 in 2020.
What is the lowest share of low birthweight babies born recorded in Australia?
The lowest recorded value was 6.22 in 2000.
How does Australia rank for share of low birthweight babies born?
Australia ranks 126th out of 157 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of low birthweight babies born rising or falling in Australia?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Australia data come from?
The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of low birthweight babies born. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of low birthweight babies born in Australia. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 20 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-low-birthweight-babies-born/australia/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of low birthweight babies born
Source
Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
157 places, 3,297 data points, 2000–2020
Last refreshed