Intention to breastfeed by number of babies

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Data description ( of 2 selected2 selectable options)

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Year ( of 9 selected9 selectable options)

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Number of babies ( of 3 selected3 selectable options)

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Breastfeeding status ( of 5 selected5 selectable options)

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Data valuesData descriptionYearNumber of babiesBreastfeeding status
20,049Number2024All babiesTotal
12,622Number2024All babiesBreastfeeding
6,945Number2024All babiesNot breastfeeding
482Number2024All babiesNot stated
19,567Number2024All babiesRecords with valid data
19,815Number2024SingletonTotal
12,490Number2024SingletonBreastfeeding
6,860Number2024SingletonNot breastfeeding
465Number2024SingletonNot stated
19,350Number2024SingletonRecords with valid data
234Number2024MultipleTotal
132Number2024MultipleBreastfeeding
85Number2024MultipleNot breastfeeding
17Number2024MultipleNot stated
217Number2024MultipleRecords with valid data
26,355Number2023All babiesTotal
16,955Number2023All babiesBreastfeeding
8,918Number2023All babiesNot breastfeeding
482Number2023All babiesNot stated
25,873Number2023All babiesRecords with valid data
26,001Number2023SingletonTotal
16,748Number2023SingletonBreastfeeding
8,795Number2023SingletonNot breastfeeding
458Number2023SingletonNot stated
25,543Number2023SingletonRecords with valid data
354Number2023MultipleTotal
207Number2023MultipleBreastfeeding
123Number2023MultipleNot breastfeeding
24Number2023MultipleNot stated
330Number2023MultipleRecords with valid data
27,163Number2022All babiesTotal
16,930Number2022All babiesBreastfeeding
9,645Number2022All babiesNot breastfeeding
588Number2022All babiesNot stated
26,575Number2022All babiesRecords with valid data
26,789Number2022SingletonTotal
16,725Number2022SingletonBreastfeeding
9,506Number2022SingletonNot breastfeeding
558Number2022SingletonNot stated
26,231Number2022SingletonRecords with valid data
374Number2022MultipleTotal
205Number2022MultipleBreastfeeding
139Number2022MultipleNot breastfeeding
30Number2022MultipleNot stated
344Number2022MultipleRecords with valid data
27,657Number2021All babiesTotal
17,360Number2021All babiesBreastfeeding
9,656Number2021All babiesNot breastfeeding
641Number2021All babiesNot stated
27,016Number2021All babiesRecords with valid data
27,315Number2021SingletonTotal
17,174Number2021SingletonBreastfeeding
9,520Number2021SingletonNot breastfeeding
621Number2021SingletonNot stated
26,694Number2021SingletonRecords with valid data
342Number2021MultipleTotal
186Number2021MultipleBreastfeeding
136Number2021MultipleNot breastfeeding
20Number2021MultipleNot stated
322Number2021MultipleRecords with valid data
27,321Number2020All babiesTotal
17,102Number2020All babiesBreastfeeding
9,650Number2020All babiesNot breastfeeding
569Number2020All babiesNot stated
26,752Number2020All babiesRecords with valid data
26,957Number2020SingletonTotal
16,906Number2020SingletonBreastfeeding
9,507Number2020SingletonNot breastfeeding
544Number2020SingletonNot stated
26,413Number2020SingletonRecords with valid data
364Number2020MultipleTotal
196Number2020MultipleBreastfeeding
143Number2020MultipleNot breastfeeding
25Number2020MultipleNot stated
339Number2020MultipleRecords with valid data
28,471Number2019All babiesTotal
17,446Number2019All babiesBreastfeeding
10,341Number2019All babiesNot breastfeeding
684Number2019All babiesNot stated
27,787Number2019All babiesRecords with valid data
28,076Number2019SingletonTotal
17,236Number2019SingletonBreastfeeding
10,187Number2019SingletonNot breastfeeding
653Number2019SingletonNot stated
27,423Number2019SingletonRecords with valid data
395Number2019MultipleTotal
210Number2019MultipleBreastfeeding
154Number2019MultipleNot breastfeeding
31Number2019MultipleNot stated
364Number2019MultipleRecords with valid data
29,812Number2018All babiesTotal
18,483Number2018All babiesBreastfeeding
10,555Number2018All babiesNot breastfeeding
774Number2018All babiesNot stated
29,038Number2018All babiesRecords with valid data
29,360Number2018SingletonTotal
18,251Number2018SingletonBreastfeeding
10,375Number2018SingletonNot breastfeeding
734Number2018SingletonNot stated
28,626Number2018SingletonRecords with valid data
Showing 1 to 100 of 270 rows
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Next update expected:July 2026

Updates

19th December 2025
Dataset first published.

Main information

Designation
Accredited official statistics
Data provider
Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW)
Data source
Maternity Indicators Dataset (MIDS)

Overview

Summary of dataset and variables

Number and percentage of mothers intending to breastfeed by number of babies born.

Singleton refers to a single baby born; multiple refers to twins, triplets or more babies born through a single pregnancy.

These statistics are derived from the Maternity Indicators dataset where a mother’s intention to breastfeed prior to birth is recorded and are provided to the Welsh Government by Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW).

The Maternity Indicators combines records from a mother’s initial assessment with a child’s birth record.

The Maternity Indicators dataset allows us to analyse characteristics of the mother’s pregnancy and birth process, of which ‘intention to breastfeed’ is one.

Full details of every data item available on both the Maternity Indicators dataset and National Community Child Health Database are available through the NHS Wales Data Dictionary.

Data collection or calculation

Data from the Maternity Indicators dataset only includes initial assessment data where the initial assessment and birth both occurred in the same health board, in Wales only. Births to Welsh resident mothers who gave birth in England or in any other country outside of Wales are not included in the data.

Data for each calendar year refers to when the baby was born.

Statistical quality

The Maternity Indicators dataset is a live database, meaning health boards can amend data for any period. For the statistics in this release, DHCW take data extracts from a single point in time, for the latest calendar year. Welsh Government will not make revisions to historical data unless errors are discovered.

Breastfeeding data at all points in time are subject to data quality issues as some mothers and babies have incomplete records. A completeness table for all data items used in this release from both data sources is available in the quality report.

Aneurin Bevan have not provided correctly recorded data for the intention to breastfeed data item in 2024 so have been excluded from the intention to breastfeed analysis.

From 1st April 2019 health service provision for residents of Bridgend local authority moved from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg to Cwm Taf. The health board names changed to Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board and Swansea Bay University Health Board. Data for Abertawe Bro Morgannwg and Cwm Taf are available for previous years in this table. More detailed information on the sources of data and analyses in this statistical release are provided in the quality report.

Related reports

Published by

Organisation
Welsh Government
Contact email
stats.healthinfo@gov.wales

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