Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value in Southern Africa

Southern Africa: Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value was 16.4 % in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
16.4 %
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
6th
of 36 groups
All-time high
16.9 %
in 2000
All-time low
16.4 %
in 2011
Years of data
21
2000–2020

Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value in Southern Africa, 2000–2020

0510152000201020202000: 16.9 %2001: 16.9 %2002: 16.9 %2003: 16.8 %2004: 16.8 %2005: 16.7 %2006: 16.7 %2007: 16.6 %2008: 16.6 %2009: 16.5 %2010: 16.5 %2011: 16.4 %2012: 16.4 %2013: 16.4 %2014: 16.4 %2015: 16.4 %2016: 16.4 %2017: 16.4 %2018: 16.4 %2019: 16.4 %2020: 16.4 %

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

Analysis

Southern Africa recorded 16.4 % for prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.

The figure is down 0.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in Southern Africa peaked at 16.9 % in 2000 and was at its lowest, 16.4 %, in 2011.

That places Southern Africa 6th out of 36 groups with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value in Southern Africa, year by year

Annual values for Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value in Southern Africa, 2000 to 2020.
Year % Change
2000 16.9 %
2001 16.9 % +0.0%
2002 16.9 % +0.0%
2003 16.8 % -0.6%
2004 16.8 % +0.0%
2005 16.7 % -0.6%
2006 16.7 % +0.0%
2007 16.6 % -0.6%
2008 16.6 % +0.0%
2009 16.5 % -0.6%
2010 16.5 % +0.0%
2011 16.4 % -0.6%
2012 16.4 % +0.0%
2013 16.4 % +0.0%
2014 16.4 % +0.0%
2015 16.4 % +0.0%
2016 16.4 % +0.0%
2017 16.4 % +0.0%
2018 16.4 % +0.0%
2019 16.4 % +0.0%
2020 16.4 % +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 16.74 % 16.5 % 16.9 % 10
2010s 16.41 % 16.4 % 16.5 % 10
2020s 16.4 % 16.4 % 16.4 % 1

Countries ranked near Southern Africa

  1. 4 Côte d'Ivoire 18.3 % compare
  2. 4 Philippines 21.1 % compare
  3. 4 Polynesia 16.8 % compare
  4. 5 Lao People's Democratic Republic 16.7 % compare
  5. 5 Liberia 19.9 % compare
  6. 6 Nepal 19.7 % compare
  7. 7 Guinea-Bissau 19.5 % compare
  8. 8 Papua New Guinea 19.4 % compare
  9. 8 Türkiye 12.9 % compare
  10. 9 Jordan 18.9 % compare
  11. 9 Micronesia 12.3 % compare

See the full ranking of 198 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Southern Africa

All data for Southern Africa →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in Southern Africa?
Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in Southern Africa was 16.4 % in 2020, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
What is the highest prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value recorded in Southern Africa?
The highest recorded value was 16.9 % in 2000.
What is the lowest prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value recorded in Southern Africa?
The lowest recorded value was 16.4 % in 2011.
How does Southern Africa rank for prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value?
Southern Africa ranks 6th out of 36 groups with data for 2020.
Is prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value rising or falling in Southern Africa?
Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Southern Africa 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 Southern Africa. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 06 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-low-birthweight-percent-value/southern-africa/

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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.