Breastfeeding at birth by place of birth and local health board
Standard shorthand is used in this table: [z] = not applicable.
| Data values | Data description | Year | Area | Place of birth | Breastfeeding status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 26,944 | Number | 2024 | Wales | All places | Total |
| 15,923 | Number | 2024 | Wales | All places | Breastfeeding |
| 8,942 | Number | 2024 | Wales | All places | Not breastfeeding |
| 2,079 | Number | 2024 | Wales | All places | Not stated |
| 24,865 | Number | 2024 | Wales | All places | Records with valid data |
| 541 | Number | 2024 | Wales | Home | Total |
| 383 | Number | 2024 | Wales | Home | Breastfeeding |
| 108 | Number | 2024 | Wales | Home | Not breastfeeding |
| 50 | Number | 2024 | Wales | Home | Not stated |
| 491 | Number | 2024 | Wales | Home | Records with valid data |
| 26,292 | Number | 2024 | Wales | Hospital | Total |
| 15,499 | Number | 2024 | Wales | Hospital | Breastfeeding |
| 8,814 | Number | 2024 | Wales | Hospital | Not breastfeeding |
| 1,979 | Number | 2024 | Wales | Hospital | Not stated |
| 24,313 | Number | 2024 | Wales | Hospital | Records with valid data |
| 44 | Number | 2024 | Wales | Born in transit | Total |
| 20 | Number | 2024 | Wales | Born in transit | Breastfeeding |
| 14 | Number | 2024 | Wales | Born in transit | Not breastfeeding |
| 10 | Number | 2024 | Wales | Born in transit | Not stated |
| 34 | Number | 2024 | Wales | Born in transit | Records with valid data |
| 5,582 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | All places | Total |
| 3,401 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | All places | Breastfeeding |
| 2,025 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | All places | Not breastfeeding |
| 156 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | All places | Not stated |
| 5,426 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | All places | Records with valid data |
| 101 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | Home | Total |
| 76 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | Home | Breastfeeding |
| 22 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | Home | Not breastfeeding |
| 3 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | Home | Not stated |
| 98 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | Home | Records with valid data |
| 5,450 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | Hospital | Total |
| 3,312 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | Hospital | Breastfeeding |
| 1,996 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | Hospital | Not breastfeeding |
| 142 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | Hospital | Not stated |
| 5,308 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | Hospital | Records with valid data |
| 5 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | Born in transit | Total |
| 2 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | Born in transit | Breastfeeding |
| 3 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | Born in transit | Not breastfeeding |
| 0 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | Born in transit | Not stated |
| 5 | Number | 2024 | Betsi Cadwaladr University Local Health Board | Born in transit | Records with valid data |
| 914 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | All places | Total |
| 531 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | All places | Breastfeeding |
| 112 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | All places | Not breastfeeding |
| 271 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | All places | Not stated |
| 643 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | All places | Records with valid data |
| 56 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | Home | Total |
| 28 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | Home | Breastfeeding |
| 6 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | Home | Not breastfeeding |
| 22 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | Home | Not stated |
| 34 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | Home | Records with valid data |
| 845 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | Hospital | Total |
| 500 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | Hospital | Breastfeeding |
| 106 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | Hospital | Not breastfeeding |
| 239 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | Hospital | Not stated |
| 606 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | Hospital | Records with valid data |
| 3 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | Born in transit | Total |
| 1 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | Born in transit | Breastfeeding |
| 0 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | Born in transit | Not breastfeeding |
| 2 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | Born in transit | Not stated |
| 1 | Number | 2024 | Powys Teaching Local Health Board | Born in transit | Records with valid data |
| 2,913 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | All places | Total |
| 1,996 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | All places | Breastfeeding |
| 889 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | All places | Not breastfeeding |
| 28 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | All places | Not stated |
| 2,885 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | All places | Records with valid data |
| 123 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | Home | Total |
| 104 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | Home | Breastfeeding |
| 18 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | Home | Not breastfeeding |
| 1 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | Home | Not stated |
| 122 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | Home | Records with valid data |
| 2,787 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | Hospital | Total |
| 1,892 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | Hospital | Breastfeeding |
| 870 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | Hospital | Not breastfeeding |
| 25 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | Hospital | Not stated |
| 2,762 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | Hospital | Records with valid data |
| 1 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | Born in transit | Total |
| 0 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | Born in transit | Breastfeeding |
| 1 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | Born in transit | Not breastfeeding |
| 0 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | Born in transit | Not stated |
| 1 | Number | 2024 | Hywel Dda University Local Health Board | Born in transit | Records with valid data |
| 3,233 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | All places | Total |
| 2,078 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | All places | Breastfeeding |
| 1,046 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | All places | Not breastfeeding |
| 109 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | All places | Not stated |
| 3,124 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | All places | Records with valid data |
| 31 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | Home | Total |
| 15 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | Home | Breastfeeding |
| 7 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | Home | Not breastfeeding |
| 9 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | Home | Not stated |
| 22 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | Home | Records with valid data |
| 3,191 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | Hospital | Total |
| 2,059 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | Hospital | Breastfeeding |
| 1,035 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | Hospital | Not breastfeeding |
| 97 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | Hospital | Not stated |
| 3,094 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | Hospital | Records with valid data |
| 8 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | Born in transit | Total |
| 4 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | Born in transit | Breastfeeding |
| 4 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | Born in transit | Not breastfeeding |
| 0 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | Born in transit | Not stated |
| 8 | Number | 2024 | Swansea Bay University Local Health Board | Born in transit | Records with valid data |
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 at birth by place of birth 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'
- 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.
Percentages are of the total live births minus births with no stated breastfeeding status at birth: 8% had no stated breastfeeding status for hospital births; 9% had no stated breastfeeding status at birth for home births in 2024.
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.
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