State vs IndiaMarch 2021Maternal and child
West Bengal's low-birth-weight share of 20.9% in March 2021 is above the India figure of 11.3% (+9.7 points).
What happened
- March 2021
- 20.9%
- India
- 11.3%
- Change
- +9.7%
- Change, percentage points
- +9.7 pts
Why it matters
The state is compared with the all-India figure for the same period, and only flagged when the gap is large relative to how far states usually sit from each other.
For low-birth-weight share, lower is better. This movement is therefore assessed as a deterioration.
Historical context
Ranks 4 of 36 reporting states and union territories (highest first).
The underlying data
| Period | Value | Release | Where in the document |
|---|---|---|---|
| March 2021 | 11.3% | HMIS item-wise monthly report, All India across states, March 2021 (FY 2020-21, provisional) | 2020-2021(Data is Provisional)/A.MonthWise/L-Mar.xlsx: ('4.4.2' Number of newborns having weight less than 2.5 kg) / ('4.4.1' Number of newborns weighed at birth) × 100; column "All India", Total [(A+B) or (C+D)] |
| March 2021 | 20.9% | HMIS item-wise monthly report, All India across states, March 2021 (FY 2020-21, provisional) | 2020-2021(Data is Provisional)/A.MonthWise/L-Mar.xlsx: ('4.4.2' Number of newborns having weight less than 2.5 kg) / ('4.4.1' Number of newborns weighed at birth) × 100; column "West Bengal", Total [(A+B) or (C+D)] |
Source and method
More signals for low-birth-weight share in West Bengal
- West Bengal's low-birth-weight share of 22.1% in April 2021 is above the India figure of 11.5% (+10.6 points).
- West Bengal: low-birth-weight share of 24.8% in December 2020 is the highest in the series, which begins April 2017.
- West Bengal: low-birth-weight share of 24.7% in October 2020 is the highest in the series, which begins April 2017.
- West Bengal: low-birth-weight share of 23.8% in August 2020 is the highest in the series, which begins April 2017.
- West Bengal: low-birth-weight share of 22.8% in September 2019 is the highest in the series, which begins April 2017.
- West Bengal: low-birth-weight share of 22.3% in August 2019 is the highest in the series, which begins April 2017.
Cite this
According to the India Health Observatory, West Bengal's low-birth-weight share of 20.9% in March 2021 is above the India figure of 11.3% (+9.7 points). Source: Health Management Information System, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, HMIS item-wise monthly report, All India across states, March 2021 (FY 2020-21, provisional). https://indiahealthobservatory.com/signals/low-birth-weight-share--west-bengal--2021-03--vs_parent
See also West Bengal and 20.9% in context.