Select Language

Top 5 Countries With The Most Premature Births: See Where India Stands

A quick look at the top five countries with the highest premature birth rates and where India ranks, along with what the numbers mean for newborn health.

Written by Muskan Gupta | Published : November 17, 2025 11:42 AM IST

1/6

Top 5 Countries With The Most Premature Births

Premature birth remains a big health issue in the world. It occurs when a child is born below thirty-seven weeks of pregnancy. The health problems that may arise in the long run due to these premature births may include difficulties in breathing, poor immunity and retarded growth. There are also countries which report a significantly greater number of premature births because of high populations, inaccessibility to maternal care and other social factors. Here are the top five leading countries that have recorded the highest number of premature births and the ranking of India in this category.

2/6

India Stands At The Top

India records the highest number of premature births in the world, according to the data by the World Health Organisation. Millions of births take place annually in the country, with a good proportion of them born prematurely. Poor nutrition and maternal infections, complications of pregnancy and late antenatal checkups keep on increasing the risk. Despite the increased access to healthcare over the years, early delivery is still prevalent in rural and urban settings.  Also Read - Preterm Birth Rate: Where Does India Stand In New UN Report?

3/6

China At Second Number

China ranks second on the list because it has a high population and the increasing risks associated with pregnancy as a result of its lifestyle, as per the WHO report. The increase in early births is caused by stress, pregnancy lateralities and medical comorbidities such as high blood pressure and diabetes in pregnant women. Although the country boasts of well-developed medical facilities, the total number of births per year is huge.

4/6

Nigeria At Third Postion

The premature births are also very high in Nigeria. The key factors include limited access to high-quality prenatal care, high rates of infection and poor nutrition habits in pregnant women. Most of the women fail to get early pregnancy checkups, and thus the manifestation of complications occurs only when it is late. The nation has been striving to enhance newborn care units and community health workers; however, the issue continues to be one of concern in the remote and low-income areas.  Also Read - Babies Dying In Scotland: Govt Issues Investigation Into Rising Infant Mortality Rate

5/6

Then Comes Pakistan

Pakistan ranks among the leading nations that contribute to premature births in the world, according to the data by WHO. This rate remains high due to inadequate access to healthcare by a big number of the pregnant women, anaemia, infections and lack of awareness regarding pregnancy safety. Early marriage and recurrent pregnancies are other risk factors. The slow progress is being registered in the recent years to provide better maternal nutrition programmes and educate families about the safe pregnancy practices.

6/6

Indonesia

The fifth country with the highest number of premature births is Indonesia. Some of the major factors include complications in the health of the pregnant women and the lack of nutrition spread and lack of medical care facilities in remote islands. The government has been working on the need to enhance the health services provided to the mothers, particularly in the rural regions, and ensure to provide emergency care.  Also Read - Will there be Lockdown again? New COVID Variant Cicada BA. 3.2 Detected in US, CDC warns against ignoring severe sore throat, runny nose, loss of smell, and other warning signs