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

Southern Asia: Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value was 24.4 % in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
24.4 %
Change on year
down 0.8%
Rank
1st
of 36 groups
All-time high
28.9 %
in 2000
All-time low
24.4 %
in 2020
Years of data
21
2000–2020

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

01020302000201020202000: 28.9 %2001: 28.8 %2002: 28.6 %2003: 28.3 %2004: 28.1 %2005: 27.9 %2006: 27.6 %2007: 27.3 %2008: 27.1 %2009: 26.9 %2010: 26.6 %2011: 26.4 %2012: 26.1 %2013: 25.9 %2014: 25.6 %2015: 25.4 %2016: 25.2 %2017: 24.9 %2018: 24.7 %2019: 24.6 %2020: 24.4 %

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

Analysis

Southern Asia recorded 24.4 % for prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.8% on the previous year and down 8.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in Southern Asia peaked at 28.9 % in 2000 and was at its lowest, 24.4 %, in 2020.

Southern Asia ranks 1st of 36 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.

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

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

Annual values for Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value in Southern Asia, 2000 to 2020.
Year % Change
2000 28.9 %
2001 28.8 % -0.3%
2002 28.6 % -0.7%
2003 28.3 % -1.0%
2004 28.1 % -0.7%
2005 27.9 % -0.7%
2006 27.6 % -1.1%
2007 27.3 % -1.1%
2008 27.1 % -0.7%
2009 26.9 % -0.7%
2010 26.6 % -1.1%
2011 26.4 % -0.8%
2012 26.1 % -1.1%
2013 25.9 % -0.8%
2014 25.6 % -1.2%
2015 25.4 % -0.8%
2016 25.2 % -0.8%
2017 24.9 % -1.2%
2018 24.7 % -0.8%
2019 24.6 % -0.4%
2020 24.4 % -0.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 27.95 % 26.9 % 28.9 % 10
2010s 25.54 % 24.6 % 26.6 % 10
2020s 24.4 % 24.4 % 24.4 % 1

Countries ranked near Southern Asia

  1. 1 India 27.4 % compare
  2. 1 Timor-Leste 18.2 % compare
  3. 2 Bangladesh 23 % compare
  4. 2 Comoros 23 % compare
  5. 4 Philippines 21.1 % compare

See the full ranking of 198 places →

More agriculture & rural data for Southern Asia

All data for Southern Asia →

Frequently asked questions

What is prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in Southern Asia?
Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in Southern Asia was 24.4 % 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 Asia?
The highest recorded value was 28.9 % in 2000.
What is the lowest prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value recorded in Southern Asia?
The lowest recorded value was 24.4 % in 2020.
How does Southern Asia rank for prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value?
Southern Asia ranks 1st out of 36 groups with data for 2020.
Is prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value rising or falling in Southern Asia?
Over the last ten years it is down 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Southern Asia 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 Asia. Statizoid, drawing on Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://agriculture.statizoid.com/stat/prevalence-of-low-birthweight-percent-value/southern-asia/

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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.