Statistical Services - BC Vital Statistics Agency

[Click here to download a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet of the above table]

In 2000, there were 2,077 live births with low birth weight (less than 2,500 grams). The provincial low birth weight (LBW) live birth rate was 51.33 per 1,000 live births.
Among live births in 2000, 4.8% of the 20,771 male births had low birth weight (990) and 5.5% of the 19,696 female births had low birth weight (1,087).
Of the low birth weight live births, 52.3% were females.
Mothers aged 25-29 had the lowest LBW rates (45.40 per 1,000 live births) in 2000, followed by the 30-34 and 20-24 maternal age groups (49.57 and 53.96 low birth weight births per 1,000 births respectively). The LBW rates by maternal age groups (shown in Figure 11) does not include the less than 15 age group since there were less than five births in this group. The LBW rates by maternal age groups (shown in Figure 11) showed a steady increase from age group 25-29 to age group 45+.

Personal information collected by the Vital Statistics Agency is protected under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and is treated with confidentiality.