Birth Defect Rates by Country 2025
Birth Defect Rate (per 1k Births)
35
40
45
50
55
60
65
70
75
80
85
5 Countries with the Highest Birth Defect Rate
82 per 1k Births
81.3 per 1k Births
77.9 per 1k Births
77 per 1k Births
76.6 per 1k Births
- The estimated rate of heart defects was set by the March of Dimes at 7.9/1000 for every country. This rate is expected to diversify as more data becomes available and more countries implement preventative measures.
- Birth defects are also known in the medical field as congenital disorders, congenital abnormalities, or congenital malformations.
- More than 7,000 possible birth defects have been identified, varying in severity from inconsequential to fatal.
- The most common severe congenital disorders are heart/cardiovascular defects, neural tube defects, hemoglobin disorders (thalassemia and sickle-cell disease), Down syndrome, and Glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD) deficiency.
- The likelihood of birth defects is influenced by multiple factors, including genetics, socioeconomics and demographics, and environmental factors such as maternal illnesses and drug use.
- Many congenital disorders are preventable via methods such as vaccinations, proper nutrition, and adequate folic acid or iodine intake during pregnancy.
- Congenital disorders vary in severity. The frequency of the most severe disorders is directly related to a country’s overall development. According to March of Dimes, 94% of the births with serious birth defects occur in low- and middle-income countries, as do 95% of the deaths from such defects.
- According to the World Health Organization, an estimated 240,000 newborns die worldwide within 28 days of birth every year due to congenital disorders. Congenital disorders cause a further 170,000 deaths of children between the ages of 1 month and 5 years.
- Besides poverty, reasons for the increased rates of severe birth defects in poor countries include (1) reduced availability and quality of maternal and child health services; (2) increased frequency of consanguineous marriages; (3) higher percentage of older mothers; and (4) higher concentration of a particular gene combination that boosts the chance of surviving malaria (hence its prevalence), but also increases the likelihood of sickle cell and thalassemia disorders.
