Breastfeeding at birth by local health board and local authority, January 2004 to March 2019
| Data values | Data description | Year | Area | Breastfeeding status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2,027 | Number | 2019 | Wales | Total |
| 1,125 | Number | 2019 | Wales | Breastfeeding |
| 828 | Number | 2019 | Wales | Not breastfeeding |
| 74 | Number | 2019 | Wales | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 1,230 | Number | 2019 | Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University | Total |
| 736 | Number | 2019 | Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University | Breastfeeding |
| 425 | Number | 2019 | Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University | Not breastfeeding |
| 69 | Number | 2019 | Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 540 | Number | 2019 | Swansea | Total |
| 340 | Number | 2019 | Swansea | Breastfeeding |
| 172 | Number | 2019 | Swansea | Not breastfeeding |
| 28 | Number | 2019 | Swansea | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 331 | Number | 2019 | Neath Port Talbot | Total |
| 178 | Number | 2019 | Neath Port Talbot | Breastfeeding |
| 123 | Number | 2019 | Neath Port Talbot | Not breastfeeding |
| 30 | Number | 2019 | Neath Port Talbot | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 359 | Number | 2019 | Bridgend | Total |
| 218 | Number | 2019 | Bridgend | Breastfeeding |
| 130 | Number | 2019 | Bridgend | Not breastfeeding |
| 11 | Number | 2019 | Bridgend | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 797 | Number | 2019 | Cwm Taf University | Total |
| 389 | Number | 2019 | Cwm Taf University | Breastfeeding |
| 403 | Number | 2019 | Cwm Taf University | Not breastfeeding |
| 5 | Number | 2019 | Cwm Taf University | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 637 | Number | 2019 | Rhondda Cynon Taf | Total |
| 327 | Number | 2019 | Rhondda Cynon Taf | Breastfeeding |
| 306 | Number | 2019 | Rhondda Cynon Taf | Not breastfeeding |
| 4 | Number | 2019 | Rhondda Cynon Taf | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 160 | Number | 2019 | Merthyr Tydfil | Total |
| 62 | Number | 2019 | Merthyr Tydfil | Breastfeeding |
| 97 | Number | 2019 | Merthyr Tydfil | Not breastfeeding |
| 1 | Number | 2019 | Merthyr Tydfil | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 31,329 | Number | 2018 | Wales | Total |
| 18,433 | Number | 2018 | Wales | Breastfeeding |
| 11,471 | Number | 2018 | Wales | Not breastfeeding |
| 1,425 | Number | 2018 | Wales | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 6,734 | Number | 2018 | Betsi Cadwaladr University | Total |
| 3,530 | Number | 2018 | Betsi Cadwaladr University | Breastfeeding |
| 3,133 | Number | 2018 | Betsi Cadwaladr University | Not breastfeeding |
| 71 | Number | 2018 | Betsi Cadwaladr University | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 678 | Number | 2018 | Isle of Anglesey | Total |
| 421 | Number | 2018 | Isle of Anglesey | Breastfeeding |
| 256 | Number | 2018 | Isle of Anglesey | Not breastfeeding |
| 1 | Number | 2018 | Isle of Anglesey | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 1,148 | Number | 2018 | Gwynedd | Total |
| 732 | Number | 2018 | Gwynedd | Breastfeeding |
| 411 | Number | 2018 | Gwynedd | Not breastfeeding |
| 5 | Number | 2018 | Gwynedd | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 1,014 | Number | 2018 | Conwy | Total |
| 561 | Number | 2018 | Conwy | Breastfeeding |
| 445 | Number | 2018 | Conwy | Not breastfeeding |
| 8 | Number | 2018 | Conwy | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 903 | Number | 2018 | Denbighshire | Total |
| 433 | Number | 2018 | Denbighshire | Breastfeeding |
| 468 | Number | 2018 | Denbighshire | Not breastfeeding |
| 2 | Number | 2018 | Denbighshire | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 1,562 | Number | 2018 | Flintshire | Total |
| 744 | Number | 2018 | Flintshire | Breastfeeding |
| 785 | Number | 2018 | Flintshire | Not breastfeeding |
| 33 | Number | 2018 | Flintshire | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 1,429 | Number | 2018 | Wrexham | Total |
| 639 | Number | 2018 | Wrexham | Breastfeeding |
| 768 | Number | 2018 | Wrexham | Not breastfeeding |
| 22 | Number | 2018 | Wrexham | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 1,094 | Number | 2018 | Powys Teaching | Total |
| 808 | Number | 2018 | Powys Teaching | Breastfeeding |
| 247 | Number | 2018 | Powys Teaching | Not breastfeeding |
| 39 | Number | 2018 | Powys Teaching | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 1,094 | Number | 2018 | Powys | Total |
| 808 | Number | 2018 | Powys | Breastfeeding |
| 247 | Number | 2018 | Powys | Not breastfeeding |
| 39 | Number | 2018 | Powys | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 3,368 | Number | 2018 | Hywel Dda University | Total |
| 2,232 | Number | 2018 | Hywel Dda University | Breastfeeding |
| 979 | Number | 2018 | Hywel Dda University | Not breastfeeding |
| 157 | Number | 2018 | Hywel Dda University | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 537 | Number | 2018 | Ceredigion | Total |
| 321 | Number | 2018 | Ceredigion | Breastfeeding |
| 82 | Number | 2018 | Ceredigion | Not breastfeeding |
| 134 | Number | 2018 | Ceredigion | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 1,041 | Number | 2018 | Pembrokeshire | Total |
| 716 | Number | 2018 | Pembrokeshire | Breastfeeding |
| 316 | Number | 2018 | Pembrokeshire | Not breastfeeding |
| 9 | Number | 2018 | Pembrokeshire | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 1,790 | Number | 2018 | Carmarthenshire | Total |
| 1,195 | Number | 2018 | Carmarthenshire | Breastfeeding |
| 581 | Number | 2018 | Carmarthenshire | Not breastfeeding |
| 14 | Number | 2018 | Carmarthenshire | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 5,270 | Number | 2018 | Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University | Total |
| 2,997 | Number | 2018 | Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University | Breastfeeding |
| 1,554 | Number | 2018 | Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University | Not breastfeeding |
| 719 | Number | 2018 | Abertawe Bro Morgannwg University | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 2,355 | Number | 2018 | Swansea | Total |
| 1,417 | Number | 2018 | Swansea | Breastfeeding |
| 721 | Number | 2018 | Swansea | Not breastfeeding |
| 217 | Number | 2018 | Swansea | Breastfeeding not stated |
| 1,441 | Number | 2018 | Neath Port Talbot | Total |
| 788 | Number | 2018 | Neath Port Talbot | Breastfeeding |
| 442 | Number | 2018 | Neath Port Talbot | Not breastfeeding |
| 211 | Number | 2018 | Neath Port Talbot | Breastfeeding not stated |
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 of babies breastfed at birth by local health board and local authority.
These statistics are derived from the National Community Child Health Database (NCCHD). This data source is 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.
- Statistical quality
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. Not all records on the National Community Child Health Database have complete records for breastfeeding status. 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.
Published by
- Organisation
- Welsh Government
- Contact email
- stats.healthinfo@gov.wales