LLLI Center for Breastfeeding Information
Breastfeeding Statistics
September 15, 2003
| COUNTRY | % AT INITIATION | % AT 4-6 MONTHS | REFERENCE NUMBER (see below) | |||
| Europe | ||||||
| Belgium | 63.4 | 9 (Dutch speaking, not French speaking) | ||||
| Czech Republic | 92 | 3 | ||||
| Denmark | 98 | 3 | ||||
| England, Wales | 71 | 29 | 2 | |||
| France | 50 | 1 | ||||
| Germany | 86 | 13 | ||||
| Greece | -- | -- | ||||
| Ireland (North) | 31-54 | 14 | 1,2 | |||
| Italy | 85 | 19 | 12 | |||
| Luxembourg | 88 | 54 | 13 | |||
| The Netherlands | 75 | 37 | 13 | |||
| Norway | 99 | 3 | ||||
| Poland | 93 | 3 | ||||
| Portugal | 93 | 3 | ||||
| Romania | 91 | 3 | ||||
| Scotland | 50-63 | 30 | 6 | |||
| Spain | 91 | 10 | ||||
| Sweden | 97 | 3 | ||||
| UK | 69 | 21 | 2 | |||
| COUNTRY | % AT INITIATION | % AT 4-6 MONTHS | REFERENCE NUMBER (see below) | |||
| Latin America & The Caribbean | a
= exclusive breastfeeding at 4 months * = exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months |
|||||
| Argentina | -- | -- | ||||
| Belize | 90 | 17a | 1 | |||
| Bolivia | 97 | 50* | 1 | |||
| Brazil | 93 | 29* | 1 | |||
| Chile | -- | 77a | 1 | |||
| Columbia | 95 | 9* | 1 | |||
| Costa Rica | -- | 35a | 1 | |||
| Dominican Republic | 93 | 19* | 1 | |||
| Ecuador | 95 | 29* | 1 | |||
| El Salvador | 94 | 15* | 1 | |||
| Guatemala | 96 | 46* | 1 | |||
| Haiti | 96 | 2* | 1 | |||
| Honduras | 96 | 33* | 1 | |||
| Nicaragua | 92 | 22* | 1 | |||
| Panama | -- | 32a | 1 | |||
| Paraguay | 94 | 5* | 1 | |||
| Peru | 97 | 53* | 1 | |||
| Uruguay | -- | -- | ||||
| Venezuela | -- | -- | ||||
| COUNTRY | % AT INITIATION | % AT 4-6 MONTHS | REFERENCE NUMBER (see below) | |||
| Asia | a
= exclusive breastfeeding at 4 months * = exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months |
|||||
| Armenia | -- | 21a | 1 | |||
| Azerbaijan | -- | 53a | 1 | |||
| Bangladesh | 97 | 45* | 1 | |||
| Cambodia | -- | 60a | 1 | |||
| China | 93 | 64a | 13, 1 | |||
| India | 95 | 43* | 1 | |||
| Indonesia | 96 | 42* | 1 | |||
| Kazakstan | 96 | 10* | 1 | |||
| Kyrgyzstan | 95 | 21* | 1 | |||
| Japan | -- | 41 | 13, 1 | |||
| Laos | -- | 36a | 1 | |||
| Mongolia | -- | 93a | 1 | |||
| Myanmar | -- | 30a | 1 | |||
| Nepal | 98 | 74* | 1 | |||
| Pakistan | 94 | 23* | 1 | |||
| Philippines | 88 | 37* | 1 | |||
| Sri Lanka | -- | 24a | 1 | |||
| Thailand | 97 | 24a | 13, 1 | |||
| Uzbekistan | 96 | 2 | 1 | |||
| COUNTRY | % AT INITIATION | % AT 4-6 MONTHS | REFERENCE NUMBER (see below) | |||
| Middle East & North Africa | * = exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months | |||||
| Algeria | 93 | 5* | 1 | |||
| Bahrain | 97 | - | 1 | |||
| Egypt | 95 | 56* | 1 | |||
| Iran | 98 | 56* | 1 | |||
| Jordan | 95 | 11* | 1 | |||
| Lebanon | 88 | 12* | 1 | |||
| Morocco | 95 | 25* | 1 | |||
| Oman | 99 | 28* | 1 | |||
| Syria | 92 | 12* | 1 | |||
| Tunisia | 94 | 5* | 1 | |||
| Turkey | 95 | 10* | 1 | |||
| United Arab Emirates | 93 | -- | 1 | |||
| Yemen | 97 | 18* | 1 | |||
| COUNTRY | % AT INITIATION | % AT 4-6 MONTHS | REFERENCE NUMBER (see below) | |||
| Sub-saharan Africa | a
= exclusive breastfeeding at 4 months * = exclusive breastfeeding at 6 months |
|||||
| Benin | 97 | 10* | 1 | |||
| Botswana | -- | 39a | 1 | |||
| Burkina Faso | 99 | 5* | 1 | |||
| Cameroon | 97 | 12* | 1 | |||
| Cape Verde | -- | 18a | 1 | |||
| Central African | ||||||
| Republic | 97 | 3* | 1 | |||
| Chad | 98 | 2* | 1 | |||
| Comoros | 96 | 3* | 1 | |||
| Congo, Dem. Rep. Of | -- | 32a | 1 | |||
| Cote d’Ivoire | 100 | 2a | 1 | |||
| Eritrea | 98 | 59* | 1 | |||
| Ethiopia | -- | 74a | 1 | |||
| Gabon | -- | 57a | 1 | |||
| Ghana | 99 | 31* | 1 | |||
| Guinea | -- | 52a | 1 | |||
| Kenya | 98 | 12* | 1 | |||
| Lesotho | -- | 54a | ||||
| Liberia | -- | -- | ||||
| Madagascar | 97 | 48* | 1 | |||
| Malawi | 97 | 2* | 1 | |||
| Mali | 95 | 8* | 1 | |||
| Mauritania | 95 | 10* | 1 | |||
| Mauritius | 72 | -- | 1 | |||
| Mozambique | 95 | 30* | 1 | |||
| Namibia | 95 | 14* | 1 | |||
| Niger | 97 | 1* | 1 | |||
| Nigeria | 97 | 1* | 1 | |||
| Rwanda | 97 | 90* | 1 | |||
| Senegal | 97 | 13* | 1 | |||
| Sierra Leone | -- | -- | ||||
| Sudan | 96 | 1* | 1 | |||
| Swaziland | -- | 37a | 1 | |||
| Tanzania | 97 | 29 | 1 | |||
| Togo | 97 | 10 | 1 | |||
| Uganda | 98 | 57* | 1 | |||
| Zambia | 98 | 19* | 1 | |||
| Zimbabwe | 99 | 11* | 1 | |||
| COUNTRY | % AT INITIATION | % AT 4-5 MONTHS | REFERENCE NUMBER (see below) | |||
| North America | ||||||
| Canada | 72 | 31 | 14 | |||
| USA | 70.1 | 33.2 | 15 | |||
| COUNTRY | % AT INITIATION | % AT 4-5 MONTHS | REFERENCE NUMBER (see below) | |||
| Australia | 87 | 48 | 16 | |||
| New Zealand | 93.8 | 56 | 11 | |||
Compiled by Carol Huotari
IBCLC
Center for Breastfeeding Information
References:
1.www.babyfriendly.org.uk/ukstats.html
2. www.babymilkaction.org
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L.H.
5.
www.scotland.gov.uk/health/cmobulletin/hb592-08.asp
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14. Mothers' Survey, Ross Products Div Abbott Labs, Breastfeeding
Trends 2002
15. National Health Surveys, Australia www.abs.gov.au/Ausstats/abs@.nsf/0/8E65D6253E10F802CA256DA40003A07C?Open
