Share of babies born with a low birthweight in New Zealand
New Zealand: Share of babies born with a low birthweight was 5.9% in 2020. ▬ Flat
Share of babies born with a low birthweight in New Zealand, 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 New Zealand stood at 5.9%. 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, share of babies born with a low birthweight in New Zealand peaked at 6.2% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 5.9%, in 2020.
That places New Zealand 136th out of 157 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Share of babies born with a low birthweight in New Zealand, year by year
| Year | % of births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 6.2% | — |
| 2001 | 6.2% | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 6.1% | -0.4% |
| 2003 | 6.1% | -0.3% |
| 2004 | 6.1% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 6.1% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 6.1% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 6.1% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 6.1% | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 6.1% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 6.1% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 6.0% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 6.0% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 6.0% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 6.0% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 6.0% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 5.9% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 5.9% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 5.9% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 5.9% | -0.3% |
| 2020 | 5.9% | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 6.1% | 6.1% | 6.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.0% | 5.9% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.9% | 5.9% | 5.9% | 1 |
Countries ranked near New Zealand
- 133 Serbia 6.2% compare
- 134 Kyrgyzstan 6.0% compare
- 135 Albania 6.0% compare
- 137 Uzbekistan 5.8% compare
- 138 Ukraine 5.7% compare
- 139 Netherlands 5.7% compare
More population data for New Zealand
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.0744 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -14.71 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.0744 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.0739 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,949 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.628 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.191 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.1% (2100)
- Population density 22.07 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 256,010 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of babies born with a low birthweight in New Zealand?
- Share of babies born with a low birthweight in New Zealand was 5.9% 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 New Zealand?
- The highest recorded value was 6.2% in 2000.
- What is the lowest share of babies born with a low birthweight recorded in New Zealand?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.9% in 2020.
- How does New Zealand rank for share of babies born with a low birthweight?
- New Zealand ranks 136th out of 157 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of babies born with a low birthweight 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 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
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
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.