Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value in Sub-Saharan Africa
Sub-Saharan Africa: Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value was 13.9 % in 2020. ▼ Falling
Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value in Sub-Saharan Africa, 2000–2020
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. Measured in %.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa recorded 13.9 % 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 5.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in Sub-Saharan Africa peaked at 15.7 % in 2000 and was at its lowest, 13.9 %, in 2019.
Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 14th of 36 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 21 years of available data.
Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — Value in Sub-Saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 15.7 % | — |
| 2001 | 15.6 % | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 15.5 % | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 15.4 % | -0.6% |
| 2004 | 15.3 % | -0.6% |
| 2005 | 15.2 % | -0.7% |
| 2006 | 15.1 % | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 15 % | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 14.9 % | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 14.8 % | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 14.7 % | -0.7% |
| 2011 | 14.6 % | -0.7% |
| 2012 | 14.5 % | -0.7% |
| 2013 | 14.4 % | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 14.3 % | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 14.2 % | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 14.2 % | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 14.1 % | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 14 % | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 13.9 % | -0.7% |
| 2020 | 13.9 % | +0.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 15.25 % | 14.8 % | 15.7 % | 10 |
| 2010s | 14.29 % | 13.9 % | 14.7 % | 10 |
| 2020s | 13.9 % | 13.9 % | 13.9 % | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa
- 11 Democratic Republic of the Congo 10.2 % compare
- 12 Burkina Faso 18.5 % compare
- 12 United Republic of Tanzania 9.7 % compare
- 13 Sri Lanka 18 % compare
- 13 Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) 9.3 % compare
- 14 Bolivia (Plurinational State of) 7.9 % compare
- 14 Mozambique 17.8 % compare
- 15 Guyana 17.2 % compare
- 15 Republic of Moldova 6.5 % compare
- 15 Senegal 17.2 % compare
- 16 Viet Nam 6.3 % compare
- 17 Botswana 16.8 % 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 prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value in Sub-Saharan Africa was 13.9 % in 2020, according to Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
- What is the highest prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 15.7 % in 2000.
- What is the lowest prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.9 % in 2019.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa rank for prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value?
- Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 14th out of 36 groups with data for 2020.
- Is prevalence of low birthweight (percent) — value rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- 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 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.