Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value in Latin America and the Caribbean
Latin America and the Caribbean: Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value was 9.6 % in 2020. ▬ Flat
Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value in Latin America and the Caribbean, 2000–2020
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2020, prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in Latin America and the Caribbean stood at 9.6 %. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.
The figure is up 1.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in Latin America and the Caribbean peaked at 9.6 % in 2016 and was at its lowest, 9.3 %, in 2000.
Latin America and the Caribbean ranks 22nd of 36 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value in Latin America and the Caribbean, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 9.3 % | — |
| 2001 | 9.3 % | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 9.4 % | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 9.4 % | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 9.4 % | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 9.4 % | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 9.4 % | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 9.4 % | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 9.4 % | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 9.5 % | +1.1% |
| 2010 | 9.5 % | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 9.5 % | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 9.5 % | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 9.5 % | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 9.5 % | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 9.5 % | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 9.6 % | +1.1% |
| 2017 | 9.6 % | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 9.6 % | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 9.6 % | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 9.6 % | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 9.39 % | 9.3 % | 9.5 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.54 % | 9.5 % | 9.6 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.6 % | 9.6 % | 9.6 % | 1 |
Countries ranked near Latin America and the Caribbean
- 19 Suriname 16.5 % compare
- 20 Benin 16.4 % compare
- 20 Central African Republic 16.4 % compare
- 22 Saint Lucia 16.3 % compare
- 22 Trinidad and Tobago 16.3 % compare
- 24 Malawi 15.6 % compare
- 24 Namibia 15.6 % compare
More agriculture & rural data for Latin America and the Caribbean
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Share of employment in agriculture in 12.72 % (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Employment in agriculture - ILO 39,094 1000 No (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Employment in agriculture - ILO 29,996 1000 No (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Employment in agriculture - ILO 9,098 1000 No (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Share of employment in agriculture in 16.69 % (2025)
- ILO - ILO Modelled Estimates — Share of employment in agriculture in 7.12 % (2025)
- Average dietary energy requirement (kcal/cap/day) — Value 2,409 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Minimum dietary energy requirement (kcal/cap/day) — Value 1,861 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Per capita food supply variability (kcal/cap/day) — Value 13 kcal/cap/d (2025)
- Percentage of children under 5 years of age who are stunted (modelled) 12.4 % (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in Latin America and the Caribbean was 9.6 % in 2020, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- The highest recorded value was 9.6 % in 2016.
- What is the lowest prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value recorded in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.3 % in 2000.
- How does Latin America and the Caribbean rank for prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value?
- Latin America and the Caribbean ranks 22nd out of 36 groups with data for 2020.
- Is prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value rising or falling in Latin America and the Caribbean?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Latin America and the Caribbean data come from?
- The figures come from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, published as part of Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — 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.