Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding among infants 0–5 months of age in Europe and Central Asia by country
https://doi.org/10.4060/CC2571EN-fig17
The ECA region has made progress in exclusive breastfeeding, but the prevalence in many subregions remains below the global average. From 2012 to 2020, the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding of infants for their first six months of life increased from 37 percent to 44 percent worldwide (Table 4). While data are not available for the ECA region average, from 2012 to 2020, the prevalence significantly increased in Central Asia (from 29.2 percent to 44.6 percent), in the Caucasus (from 24.1 percent to 31.1 percent) and in the Western Balkans (from 20.2 percent to 26.7 percent).
2012 | 2020 | |
World | 37.1 | 43.8 |
Europe and Central Asia | n.a. | n.a. |
Caucasus | 24.1 | 31.1 |
Central Asia | 29.2 | 44.6 |
CIS Europe and Ukraine | 20.7 | 21.7 |
EFTA countries | n.a. | n.a. |
EU27 and the United Kingdom | n.a. | n.a. |
Other | 41.6 | 40.7 |
Western Balkans | 20.2 | 26.7 |
Figure 17 compares the levels of the prevalence of breastfeeding in ECA countries between the first year data are available and the last year data are available for each country. In the Caucasus, Armenia increased the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding for children 0–5 months of age from 29.5 percent in 2000 to 44.5 percent in 2016. This is the biggest increase in the Caucasus subregion. In Central Asia, Tajikistan achieved a notable jump from 14.2 percent in 2000 to 35.8 percent in 2017; the increase in Uzbekistan was even greater, from 13.4 percent in 2000 to 49.5 percent in 2017. The most remarkable progress happened in Turkmenistan, where the prevalence was 12.1 percent in 2000 but jumped to 56.5 percent in 2019. In CIS Europe and Ukraine, the prevalence of breastfeeding increased in Ukraine and decreased in the Republic of Moldova. An increase was recorded in every country of the Western Balkans subregion, including a big jump in Albania from 2000 to 2017.