Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Peru

Peru: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 65.3% in 2019. ▲ Rising

Latest (2019)
65.3%
Change on year
down 1.7%
World rank
6th
of 72 countries
All-time high
72.3%
in 2013
All-time low
28.0%
in 1986
Years of data
19
1986–2019

Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Peru, 1986–2019

0204060801986200220191986: 28 % of children under 6 months1992: 48 % of children under 6 months1996: 53 % of children under 6 months2000: 66.6 % of children under 6 months2004: 63.9 % of children under 6 months2006: 63.3 % of children under 6 months2007: 68.7 % of children under 6 months2008: 66.5 % of children under 6 months2009: 68.3 % of children under 6 months2010: 68.3 % of children under 6 months2011: 70.1 % of children under 6 months2012: 67.4 % of children under 6 months2013: 72.3 % of children under 6 months2014: 66.6 % of children under 6 months2015: 62.7 % of children under 6 months2016: 66 % of children under 6 months2017: 64.1 % of children under 6 months2018: 66.5 % of children under 6 months2019: 65.3 % of children under 6 months

Source: Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in % of children under 6 months.

Analysis

Peru recorded 65.3% for exclusive breastfeeding rate in 2019.

That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and down 4.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in Peru peaked at 72.3% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 28.0%, in 1986.

That places Peru 6th out of 72 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.

Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Peru, year by year

Annual values for Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Peru, 1986 to 2019.
Year % of children under 6 months Change
1986 28.0%
1992 48.0% +71.4%
1996 53.0% +10.4%
2000 66.6% +25.6%
2004 63.9% -4.0%
2006 63.3% -0.9%
2007 68.7% +8.5%
2008 66.5% -3.2%
2009 68.3% +2.7%
2010 68.3% +0.0%
2011 70.1% +2.6%
2012 67.4% -3.8%
2013 72.3% +7.2%
2014 66.6% -7.8%
2015 62.7% -5.9%
2016 66.0% +5.2%
2017 64.1% -2.8%
2018 66.5% +3.7%
2019 65.3% -1.7%

Peru compared with similar countries

  • Peru's 65.3% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 37.2%, 1.8× the median. (20 countries reporting)
  • Peru's 65.3% is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 39.9%, 1.6× the median. (11 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Peru changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1992 +71.4% 28.0% 48.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 28.0% 28.0% 28.0% 1
1990s 50.5% 48.0% 53.0% 2
2000s 66.2% 63.3% 68.7% 6
2010s 66.9% 62.7% 72.3% 10

Countries ranked near Peru

  1. 3 Burundi 71.9% compare
  2. 4 Zambia 69.9% compare
  3. 5 Uganda 65.5% compare
  4. 7 Cambodia 65.2% compare
  5. 8 East Timor 65.0% compare
  6. 9 Togo 64.3% compare

See the full ranking of 72 places →

More reference data data for Peru

All data for Peru →

Frequently asked questions

What is exclusive breastfeeding rate in Peru?
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Peru was 65.3% in 2019, according to Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Peru?
The highest recorded value was 72.3% in 2013.
What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in Peru?
The lowest recorded value was 28.0% in 1986.
How does Peru rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
Peru ranks 6th out of 72 countries with data for 2019.
Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in Peru?
Over the last ten years it is down 4.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Peru data come from?
The figures come from Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Exclusive breastfeeding rate. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Exclusive breastfeeding rate in Peru. Statizoid, drawing on Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/exclusive-breastfeeding-rate/peru/

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About this data

Indicator
Exclusive breastfeeding rate
Unit
% of children under 6 months
Source
Demographic and Health Surveys (DHS) and UNICEF, via World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
72 places, 509 data points, 1986–2020
Last refreshed

The share of infants less than six months old who were fed only with breast milk in the past 24 hours. WHO and UNICEF recommend that children be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months of life – meaning no other foods or liquids are provided, including water.