Share of babies born with a low birthweight in Burkina Faso
Burkina Faso: Share of babies born with a low birthweight was 18.5% in 2020. ▼ Falling
Share of babies born with a low birthweight in Burkina Faso, 2000–2020
Source: UNICEF and World Health Organization (WHO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of births.
Analysis
In 2020, share of babies born with a low birthweight in Burkina Faso stood at 18.5%. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 4.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of babies born with a low birthweight in Burkina Faso peaked at 20.3% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 18.5%, in 2020.
Burkina Faso ranks 12th of 157 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Share of babies born with a low birthweight in Burkina Faso, year by year
| Year | % of births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 20.3% | — |
| 2001 | 20.2% | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 20.1% | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 19.9% | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 19.8% | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 19.7% | -0.6% |
| 2006 | 19.6% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 19.5% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 19.4% | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 19.3% | -0.4% |
| 2010 | 19.3% | -0.4% |
| 2011 | 19.2% | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 19.1% | -0.5% |
| 2013 | 19.0% | -0.4% |
| 2014 | 18.9% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 18.8% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 18.8% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 18.7% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 18.6% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 18.5% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 18.5% | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 19.8% | 19.3% | 20.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.9% | 18.5% | 19.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.5% | 18.5% | 18.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Burkina Faso
- 9 Jordan 18.9% compare
- 10 Madagascar 18.7% compare
- 11 Mauritius 18.7% compare
- 13 Cote d'Ivoire 18.3% compare
- 14 East Timor 18.2% compare
- 15 Sri Lanka 18.0% compare
More population data for Burkina Faso
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate 0.0413 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -1.76 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate 0.0413 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate 0.2492 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 40,542 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 2.35 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.4791 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth 0.0% (2100)
- Population density 182.22 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 3.29 million people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of babies born with a low birthweight in Burkina Faso?
- Share of babies born with a low birthweight in Burkina Faso was 18.5% in 2020, according to UNICEF and World Health Organization (WHO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of babies born with a low birthweight recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The highest recorded value was 20.3% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of babies born with a low birthweight recorded in Burkina Faso?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.5% in 2020.
- How does Burkina Faso rank for share of babies born with a low birthweight?
- Burkina Faso ranks 12th out of 157 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of babies born with a low birthweight rising or falling in Burkina Faso?
- Over the last ten years it is down 4.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Burkina Faso data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF and World Health Organization (WHO), via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of babies born with a low birthweight. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Estimated percentage of newborn babies that weigh under 2.5kg. These babies are more likely to suffer poor health and stunted growth.