Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value in South America

South America: Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value was 8.8 % in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
8.8 %
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
23rd
of 36 groups
All-time high
8.8 %
in 2018
All-time low
8.5 %
in 2000
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value in South America, 2000–2020

024682000201020202000: 8.5 %2001: 8.6 %2002: 8.6 %2003: 8.6 %2004: 8.6 %2005: 8.6 %2006: 8.6 %2007: 8.6 %2008: 8.6 %2009: 8.6 %2010: 8.6 %2011: 8.6 %2012: 8.6 %2013: 8.6 %2014: 8.6 %2015: 8.7 %2016: 8.7 %2017: 8.7 %2018: 8.8 %2019: 8.8 %2020: 8.8 %

Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2020, prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in South America stood at 8.8 %. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.

That represents a change of up 2.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in South America peaked at 8.8 % in 2018 and was at its lowest, 8.5 %, in 2000.

That places South America 23rd out of 36 groups with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value in South America, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value in South America, 2000 to 2020.
Year % Change
2000 8.5 %
2001 8.6 % +1.2%
2002 8.6 % +0.0%
2003 8.6 % +0.0%
2004 8.6 % +0.0%
2005 8.6 % +0.0%
2006 8.6 % +0.0%
2007 8.6 % +0.0%
2008 8.6 % +0.0%
2009 8.6 % +0.0%
2010 8.6 % +0.0%
2011 8.6 % +0.0%
2012 8.6 % +0.0%
2013 8.6 % +0.0%
2014 8.6 % +0.0%
2015 8.7 % +1.2%
2016 8.7 % +0.0%
2017 8.7 % +0.0%
2018 8.8 % +1.1%
2019 8.8 % +0.0%
2020 8.8 % +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 8.59 % 8.5 % 8.6 % 10
2010s 8.67 % 8.6 % 8.8 % 10
2020s 8.8 % 8.8 % 8.8 % 1

Countries ranked near South America

  1. 20 Benin 16.4 % compare
  2. 20 Central African Republic 16.4 % compare
  3. 22 Saint Lucia 16.3 % compare
  4. 22 Trinidad and Tobago 16.3 % compare
  5. 24 Malawi 15.6 % compare
  6. 24 Namibia 15.6 % compare
  7. 26 Angola 15.5 % compare

See the full ranking of 198 places →

More agriculture & rural data for South America

All data for South America →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in South America?
Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in South America was 8.8 % in 2020, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value recorded in South America?
The highest recorded value was 8.8 % in 2018.
What is the lowest prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value recorded in South America?
The lowest recorded value was 8.5 % in 2000.
How does South America rank for prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value?
South America ranks 23rd out of 36 groups with data for 2020.
Is prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value rising or falling in South America?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this South America 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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Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value in South America. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-low-birthweight-percent-value/south-america/

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About this data

Indicator
Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value
Unit
%
Source
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (FAO)
Coverage
198 places, 4,158 data points, 2000–2020
Last refreshed

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.