Number of newborns with low birthweight (million) — Value in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Number of newborns with low birthweight (million) — Value was 5.4 million No in 2020. ▲ Rising
Number of newborns with low birthweight (million) — Value in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2020
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in million No.
Analysis
In 2020, number of newborns with low birthweight (million) — value in Sub-Saharan Africa stood at 5.4 million No. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.
That represents a change of up 1.9% on the previous year and up 10.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of newborns with low birthweight (million) — value in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 5.4 million No in 2020 and was at its lowest, 4.2 million No, in 2000.
That places Sub-Saharan Africa 6th out of 36 groups with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Number of newborns with low birthweight (million) — Value in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | million No | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 4.2 million No | — |
| 2001 | 4.3 million No | +2.4% |
| 2002 | 4.4 million No | +2.3% |
| 2003 | 4.4 million No | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 4.5 million No | +2.3% |
| 2005 | 4.6 million No | +2.2% |
| 2006 | 4.6 million No | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 4.7 million No | +2.2% |
| 2008 | 4.8 million No | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 4.8 million No | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 4.9 million No | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 5 million No | +2.0% |
| 2012 | 5 million No | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 5 million No | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 5.1 million No | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 5.1 million No | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 5.2 million No | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 5.2 million No | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5.3 million No | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 5.3 million No | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 5.4 million No | +1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 4.53 million No | 4.2 million No | 4.8 million No | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.11 million No | 4.9 million No | 5.3 million No | 10 |
| 2020s | 5.4 million No | 5.4 million No | 5.4 million No | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 3 China 0.6 million No compare
- 4 Democratic Republic of the Congo 0.4 million No compare
- 4 Philippines 0.5 million No compare
- 5 Indonesia 0.4 million No compare
- 5 Türkiye 0.2 million No compare
- 5 United Republic of Tanzania 0.2 million No compare
- 6 Angola 0.2 million No compare
- 6 Brazil 0.2 million No compare
- 6 Madagascar 0.2 million No compare
- 6 Mexico 0.2 million No compare
- 6 Mozambique 0.2 million No compare
- 6 South Africa 0.2 million No compare
- 8 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 0.1 million No compare
- 8 Viet Nam 0.1 million No compare
- 8 Melanesia 0.1 million No compare
More agriculture & rural data for Sub-Saharan Africa
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), annual 10.7 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per capita 0.5534 units per person (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 0.1791 current US$ per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agriculture, forestry, and fishing, value added (current US$), per 299.6 current US$ per person (2025)
- Rural population, annual growth rate 1.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Rural population, per unit of GDP 0.0003 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Agricultural raw materials exports 2.6% (2024)
- Agricultural raw materials imports 1.0% (2024)
- Rural population 55.3% (2025)
- Rural population growth 1.5% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of newborns with low birthweight (million) — value in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Number of newborns with low birthweight (million) — value in Sub-Saharan Africa was 5.4 million No in 2020, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest number of newborns with low birthweight (million) — value recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 5.4 million No in 2020.
- What is the lowest number of newborns with low birthweight (million) — value recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.2 million No in 2000.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for number of newborns with low birthweight (million) — value?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 6th out of 36 groups with data for 2020.
- Is number of newborns with low birthweight (million) — value rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Number of newborns with low birthweight (million) — Value. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The Suite of Food Security Indicators presents the core set of food security indicators. Following the recommendation of experts gathered in the Committee on World Food Security (CFS) Round Table on hunger measurement, hosted at FAO headquarters in September 2011, an initial set of indicators aiming to capture various aspects of food insecurity is presented here. The choice of the indicators has been informed by expert judgement and the availability of data with sufficient coverage to enable comparisons across regions and over time. Many of these indicators are produced and published elsewhere by FAO and other international organizations. They are reported here in a single database with the aim of building a wide food security information system. More indicators will be added to this set as more data will become available. Indicators are classified along the four dimensions of food security -- availability, access, utilization and stability.