LATIN AMERICA AND THE CARIBBEAN Regional overview of food security and nutrition 2021: Statistics and trends

3.2 Prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding during the first six months of life

According to the latest data available in 2012, in Latin America and the Caribbean, the rate of exclusive breastfeeding for six months was 33.4 percent. While in South America in the same year, the rate was 41.9 percent.

Estimates for 2019 are available only for the Caribbean and Mesoamerica subregions. Mesoamerica has made significant progress in improving exclusive breasting for six months, which increased from 21.6 percent in 2012 to 33.2 percent in 2019. However, it is still below the world average of 44 percent and the WHA and the SDG targets of achieving 50 percent and 70 percent exclusive breastfeeding for six months respectively.

In contrast, the Caribbean has seen a reduction in exclusive breastfeeding for six months, and in 2019 the rate was 25.3 percent, half the target established for 2025.

Of the region’s countries, Peru, the Plurinational State of Bolivia and Guatemala are the only countries with exclusive breastfeeding rates above 50 percent.

Among the 12 countries that showed an increase in the rate of exclusive breastfeeding, Belize showed the highest increase which was 24 percentage points (between 2006 and 2015), followed by El Salvador with an increase of 22.7 percentage points (between 2002 and 2014). Additionally, the Plurinational State of Bolivia (between 2000 and 2016), Haiti (between 2000 and 2016) and Trinidad and Tobago (between 2000 and 2012) all increased the rate of exclusive breastfeeding for six months by more than 15 percentage points.