Share of low birthweight babies born in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Share of low birthweight babies born was 6.83 in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
6.83
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
121st
of 157 countries
All-time high
7.55
in 2000
All-time low
6.83
in 2020
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Share of low birthweight babies born in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2000–2020

024682000201020202000: 7.52001: 7.52002: 7.52003: 7.42004: 7.42005: 7.32006: 7.32007: 7.32008: 7.22009: 7.22010: 7.22011: 7.22012: 7.12013: 7.12014: 7.12015: 72016: 72017: 6.92018: 6.92019: 6.92020: 6.8

Source: Our World in Data.

Analysis

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 6.83 for share of low birthweight babies born in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.

The figure is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 5.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of low birthweight babies born in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 7.55 in 2000 and was at its lowest, 6.83, in 2020.

United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 121st of 157 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.

Share of low birthweight babies born in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Share of low birthweight babies born in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 2000 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2000 7.55
2001 7.51 -0.5%
2002 7.48 -0.5%
2003 7.43 -0.6%
2004 7.39 -0.6%
2005 7.34 -0.7%
2006 7.29 -0.6%
2007 7.26 -0.4%
2008 7.23 -0.4%
2009 7.21 -0.3%
2010 7.19 -0.3%
2011 7.17 -0.3%
2012 7.14 -0.4%
2013 7.11 -0.5%
2014 7.06 -0.6%
2015 7.02 -0.6%
2016 6.98 -0.6%
2017 6.93 -0.6%
2018 6.9 -0.5%
2019 6.86 -0.5%
2020 6.83 -0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 7.37 7.21 7.55 10
2010s 7.04 6.86 7.19 10
2020s 6.83 6.83 6.83 1

Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

  1. 118 Malta 7.18 compare
  2. 119 Cuba 7.06 compare
  3. 120 Chile 6.84 compare
  4. 122 Monaco 6.82 compare
  5. 123 Belgium 6.76 compare
  6. 124 Germany 6.71 compare

See the full ranking of 157 places →

More population data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of low birthweight babies born in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Share of low birthweight babies born in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 6.83 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of low birthweight babies born recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 7.55 in 2000.
What is the lowest share of low birthweight babies born recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 6.83 in 2020.
How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for share of low birthweight babies born?
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 121st out of 157 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of low birthweight babies born rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 5.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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 United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Our World in Data. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-low-birthweight-babies-born/united-kingdom/

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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