Breastfeeding by age of baby, type of breastfeeding and local health board

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Data description ( of 2 selected2 selectable options)

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Year ( of 11 selected11 selectable options)

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Area ( of 11 selected11 selectable options)

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Age of baby ( of 4 selected4 selectable options)

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Breastfeeding status ( of 6 selected6 selectable options)

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Data valuesData descriptionYearAreaAge of babyBreastfeeding status
26,944Number2024WalesBirthTotal
15,387Number2024WalesBirthExclusive breastfeeding
15,923Number2024WalesBirthAny breastfeeding
8,942Number2024WalesBirthNot breastfeeding
2,079Number2024WalesBirthNot stated
24,865Number2024WalesBirthRecords with valid data
26,819Number2024Wales10 daysTotal
9,130Number2024Wales10 daysExclusive breastfeeding
13,503Number2024Wales10 daysAny breastfeeding
10,067Number2024Wales10 daysNot breastfeeding
3,249Number2024Wales10 daysNot stated
23,570Number2024Wales10 daysRecords with valid data
27,067Number2024Wales6 weeksTotal
6,554Number2024Wales6 weeksExclusive breastfeeding
9,434Number2024Wales6 weeksAny breastfeeding
11,946Number2024Wales6 weeksNot breastfeeding
5,687Number2024Wales6 weeksNot stated
21,380Number2024Wales6 weeksRecords with valid data
27,475Number2024Wales6 monthsTotal
4,979Number2024Wales6 monthsExclusive breastfeeding
6,975Number2024Wales6 monthsAny breastfeeding
14,508Number2024Wales6 monthsNot breastfeeding
5,992Number2024Wales6 monthsNot stated
21,483Number2024Wales6 monthsRecords with valid data
5,582Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health BoardBirthTotal
3,266Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health BoardBirthExclusive breastfeeding
3,401Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health BoardBirthAny breastfeeding
2,025Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health BoardBirthNot breastfeeding
156Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health BoardBirthNot stated
5,426Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health BoardBirthRecords with valid data
5,524Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board10 daysTotal
1,972Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board10 daysExclusive breastfeeding
2,683Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board10 daysAny breastfeeding
2,538Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board10 daysNot breastfeeding
303Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board10 daysNot stated
5,221Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board10 daysRecords with valid data
5,606Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board6 weeksTotal
1,674Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board6 weeksExclusive breastfeeding
2,244Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board6 weeksAny breastfeeding
3,201Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board6 weeksNot breastfeeding
161Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board6 weeksNot stated
5,445Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board6 weeksRecords with valid data
5,771Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board6 monthsTotal
1,202Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board6 monthsExclusive breastfeeding
1,589Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board6 monthsAny breastfeeding
3,786Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board6 monthsNot breastfeeding
396Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board6 monthsNot stated
5,375Number2024Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board6 monthsRecords with valid data
914Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health BoardBirthTotal
521Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health BoardBirthExclusive breastfeeding
531Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health BoardBirthAny breastfeeding
112Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health BoardBirthNot breastfeeding
271Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health BoardBirthNot stated
643Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health BoardBirthRecords with valid data
908Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board10 daysTotal
299Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board10 daysExclusive breastfeeding
399Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board10 daysAny breastfeeding
184Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board10 daysNot breastfeeding
325Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board10 daysNot stated
583Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board10 daysRecords with valid data
915Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board6 weeksTotal
271Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board6 weeksExclusive breastfeeding
374Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board6 weeksAny breastfeeding
294Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board6 weeksNot breastfeeding
247Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board6 weeksNot stated
668Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board6 weeksRecords with valid data
934Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board6 monthsTotal
155Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board6 monthsExclusive breastfeeding
215Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board6 monthsAny breastfeeding
244Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board6 monthsNot breastfeeding
475Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board6 monthsNot stated
459Number2024Powys Teaching Local Health Board6 monthsRecords with valid data
2,913Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health BoardBirthTotal
1,995Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health BoardBirthExclusive breastfeeding
1,996Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health BoardBirthAny breastfeeding
889Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health BoardBirthNot breastfeeding
28Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health BoardBirthNot stated
2,885Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health BoardBirthRecords with valid data
2,918Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board10 daysTotal
1,128Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board10 daysExclusive breastfeeding
1,571Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board10 daysAny breastfeeding
1,038Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board10 daysNot breastfeeding
309Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board10 daysNot stated
2,609Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board10 daysRecords with valid data
2,944Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board6 weeksTotal
811Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board6 weeksExclusive breastfeeding
1,116Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board6 weeksAny breastfeeding
1,245Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board6 weeksNot breastfeeding
583Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board6 weeksNot stated
2,361Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board6 weeksRecords with valid data
3,017Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board6 monthsTotal
670Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board6 monthsExclusive breastfeeding
880Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board6 monthsAny breastfeeding
1,676Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board6 monthsNot breastfeeding
461Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board6 monthsNot stated
2,556Number2024Hywel Dda University Local Health Board6 monthsRecords with valid data
3,233Number2024Swansea Bay University Local Health BoardBirthTotal
2,077Number2024Swansea Bay University Local Health BoardBirthExclusive breastfeeding
2,078Number2024Swansea Bay University Local Health BoardBirthAny breastfeeding
1,046Number2024Swansea Bay University Local Health BoardBirthNot breastfeeding
Showing 1 to 100 of 4,080 rows
Page 1 of 41

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
National Community Child Health Database (NCCHD)

Overview

Summary of dataset and variables

Number and percentage of babies breastfed by age of baby, type of breastfeeding and local health board.

These statistics are derived from the National Community Child Health Database (NCCHD) where data for breastfeeding at birth and for babies turning 10 days, 6 weeks and 6 months is extracted and refers to records where there was any breastfeeding. Data are provided to the Welsh Government by Digital Health and Care Wales (DHCW).

The NCCHD was established in 2004 and consists of anonymised records for all children born, resident or treated in Wales and born after 1987. The database brings together data from local Community Child Health System databases which are held by local health boards (LHBs), and its main function is to provide an online record of a child’s health and care from birth to leaving school age. The statistics used in this release are based on the data recorded at birth and shortly after birth.

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

The NCCHD includes records of all children born in, resident in or receiving services in their relevant local health boards. This means the database contains some information for some children not currently residing in Wales; however, unless otherwise stated, all statistics produced from data sourced from this database is filtered to only include those children born in Wales.

Data on breastfeeding at birth, 10 days, 6 weeks and 6 months refers to the time period in which the activity occurred, rather than when the child was born.

The percentages are of the total number of records with stated breastfeeding status. The total number of records for percentage calculations at each point are:

  • the number of women due to give birth for 'Intention to breastfeed'
  • all live births for 'birth'
  • and of babies turning the reference age for all other age points.

The NCCHD records both live and stillbirths, however the analysis in the statistical release refers only to live births.

Statistical quality

The NCCHD 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.

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 on the National Community Child Health Database have complete records for breastfeeding status.

The completeness rate decreases with the age of the baby and in 2024, was as follows:

  • 92% at birth
  • 88% at 10 days
  • 79% at six weeks
  • 78% at 6 months.

A completeness table for all data items used in this release from both data sources is available in the quality report.

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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