Breastfeeding, quarterly rates by age and local health board
See what variables and values are shown in your table
| Variable | Visibility | Selected values | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Data description | Shown in table | Rate | Value cannot be changed |
| Local Health Board | Shown in table | All 10 values | Change values |
| Quarter | Shown in table | All 45 values | Change values |
| Milk type | Shown in table | All 3 values | Change values |
| Age of baby | Shown in table | All 4 values | Change values |
Table
Standard shorthand is used in this table: [t] = total.
| Data values | Data description | Local Health Board | Quarter | Milk type | Age of baby |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 66.0 | Rate | Wales | Q3 2025 | Any Breastfeeding | Birth |
| 60.7 | Rate | Wales | Q3 2025 | Any Breastfeeding | 10 days |
| 49.2 | Rate | Wales | Q3 2025 | Any Breastfeeding | 6 weeks |
| 35.0 | Rate | Wales | Q3 2025 | Any Breastfeeding | 6 months |
| 62.8 | Rate | Wales | Q3 2025 | Exclusive Breastfeeding | Birth |
| 43.0 | Rate | Wales | Q3 2025 | Exclusive Breastfeeding | 10 days |
| 34.9 | Rate | Wales | Q3 2025 | Exclusive Breastfeeding | 6 weeks |
| 25.5 | Rate | Wales | Q3 2025 | Exclusive Breastfeeding | 6 months |
| 12.1 | Rate | Wales | Q3 2025 | Not Stated | Birth |
| 9.8 | Rate | Wales | Q3 2025 | Not Stated | 10 days |
| 10.7 | Rate | Wales | Q3 2025 | Not Stated | 6 weeks |
| 18.5 | Rate | Wales | Q3 2025 | Not Stated | 6 months |
| 64.6 [t] | Rate | Wales | Q2 2025 | Any Breastfeeding | Birth |
| 58.6 [t] | Rate | Wales | Q2 2025 | Any Breastfeeding | 10 days |
| 47.4 [t] | Rate | Wales | Q2 2025 | Any Breastfeeding | 6 weeks |
| 33.4 [t] | Rate | Wales | Q2 2025 | Any Breastfeeding | 6 months |
| 62.5 [t] | Rate | Wales | Q2 2025 | Exclusive Breastfeeding | Birth |
| 39.7 [t] | Rate | Wales | Q2 2025 | Exclusive Breastfeeding | 10 days |
| 32.6 [t] | Rate | Wales | Q2 2025 | Exclusive Breastfeeding | 6 weeks |
| 23.9 [t] | Rate | Wales | Q2 2025 | Exclusive Breastfeeding | 6 months |
| 12.7 [t] | Rate | Wales | Q2 2025 | Not Stated | Birth |
| 10.8 [t] | Rate | Wales | Q2 2025 | Not Stated | 10 days |
| 15.4 [t] | Rate | Wales | Q2 2025 | Not Stated | 6 weeks |
| 17.0 [t] | Rate | Wales | Q2 2025 | Not Stated | 6 months |
| 65.9 [t] | Rate | Wales | Q1 2025 | Any Breastfeeding | Birth |
Next update expected:19 November 2025
Updates
- 25th February 2026
This update includes the latest quarterly data.
- 19th November 2025
- 5th November 2025
- Dataset first published.
Main information
- Designation
- Official statistics
- Data provider
- Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW)
- Data source
- National Community Child Health Database (NCCHD)
- Time period covered
- July 2014 to October 2025
Overview
- Summary of dataset and variables
Rate of breastfeeding by feeding type, age of baby, local health board (LHB) and quarter from 2014 to 2025. In this dataset, quarter refers to calendar year quarter. The source of the data is the National Community Child Health Database (NCCHD); a database maintained by Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW). The data is extracted routinely from LHB-held Child Health System databases.
- Data collection or calculation
The breastfeeding rate is calculated by dividing the number of infants receiving the milk type of interest by the total number of infants across all feeding types, excluding those with unknown feeding types.
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 have changed with Cwm Taf University health board becoming Cwm Taf Morgannwg University health board and Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University health board becoming Swansea Bay health board.
Dimension specific notes:
- From 1st of April 2019 health service provision for residents of Bridgend local authority moved from Abertawe Bro Morgannwg to Cwm Taf. The health board names have changed with Cwm Taf University Health Board becoming Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board.
- Any Breastfeeding: The percentages are of the births with a known breastfeeding status. ‘Any breastfeeding’ includes the following categories: Exclusive Milk, Combined Milk – Partially Breast, Combined Milk - Predominantly Breast, Breastfed Unspecified. See Notes.
- Exclusive Breastfeeding: The percentages are of the births with a known breastfeeding status. Exclusive Milk: Breastfeeding or receiving breast milk by any other means e.g. tube, cup, syringe etc and essential medication.
- Statistical quality
Breastfeeding data at all points in time are subject to data quality issues as some mothers and babies have incomplete records. Breastfeeding data at 10 days, 6 weeks and 6 months is collected when the children have health visitor and GP appointments through the Healthy Child Wales Programme. If a child does not receive a contact, their breastfeeding data may be missing at that contact point. Not all records in the National Community Child Health Database have complete records for breastfeeding status. The completeness rate decreases with the age of the baby.
Breastfeeding data at 10 days, 6 weeks and 6 months is collected through the Healthy Child Wales Programme. The delivery of this programme has been affected by COVID-19 and has resulted in a small increase of missing breastfeeding data in Q2 2020 (April to June 2020). The percentage of missing data for the Q3 2020 (July to September 2020) is in line with pre-COVID-19 levels. This should be noted when making comparisons between these two quarters.
Published by
- Organisation
- Welsh Government
- Contact email
- stats.healthinfo@gov.wales