Ever wonder how breastfeeding rates compare from country to country? Below is a comparison of current breastfeeding rates in Australia, Sweden, the US, the UK, and Canada, using each country’s most recent available national survey data.
A little explanation of the numbers here…
- “Any Breastfeeding” – Baby is receiving any amount of breast milk (exclusively, or along with other foods/liquids) at 6 months of age.
- “Exclusive Breastfeeding” – Baby has received only breast milk through 6 months of age – no water, formula, juice, solid foods, etc. Vitamin/mineral drops and medicines don’t count against exclusivity.
8/6/26 Update: Replaced the original 2004-2009 country-by-country charts with two updated comparison charts using each country’s most recent national data (2017-2024). See Data Sources below for details.
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Data Sources
Australia (2022): Breastfeeding, 2022. Australian Bureau of Statistics, National Health Survey.
Sweden (2022): Statistics on breastfeeding rates. Socialstyrelsen (Swedish National Board of Health and Welfare).
US (2023 births): National and State Breastfeeding Rates: Data Results. CDC National Immunization Survey-Child (NIS-Child).
UK/England (2024): Infant Feeding Survey 2024: Summary of Main Findings. Office for Health Improvement and Disparities.
Canada (2017-2018): Rates of and factors associated with exclusive and any breastfeeding at six months in Canada, from the Canadian Community Health Survey, cited via PubMed.
More:
Breastfeeding: The Numbers – Breastfeeding rates in the United States and worldwide
Infant and young child feeding by country from UNICEF