Incidence of Preterm Birth - Worldwide
Incidence of premature birth Worldwide
To recap, a preterm birth or “preemie” is a baby who was born before 37 completed gestational weeks.
The numbers of preterm births are not equal when you compare countries, for example the highest rate of preterm birth occurs in Africa and the lowest in Europe. The reasons for this are varied and are likely due to differences between countries in regards to the various risk factors
The global incidence of preterm birth:
| Region | Number of Preterm Births | Preterm Birth Rates (%) |
| World Total | 12,870,000 | 9.6% |
| Africa | 4,047,000 | 11.9% |
| North America | 480,000 | 10.6% |
| Asia | 6,907,000 | 9.1% |
| LA & the Caribbean | 933,000 | 8.1% |
| Oceania Australia & New Zealand | 20,000 | 6.4% |
| Europe | 466,000 | 6.2% |
The estimated worldwide incidence of preterm birth in 2005, shown in the table, represent the data reported by the World Health Organisation (WHO) in a systematic review aiming to understand the global extent of this specific public health problem. Note these figures were only based on singleton births so are likely to underestimate the actual number of preterm births globally
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One of the greatest minds in history, Albert Einstein was born preterm.
