Exclusive breastfeeding rate in East Timor

East Timor: Exclusive breastfeeding rate was 65.0% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
65.0%
World rank
8th
of 72 countries
All-time high
65.0%
in 2020
All-time low
30.7%
in 2003
Years of data
6
2002–2020

Exclusive breastfeeding rate in East Timor, 2002–2020

02040602002201120202002: 44 % of children under 6 months2003: 30.7 % of children under 6 months2010: 50.8 % of children under 6 months2013: 62.3 % of children under 6 months2016: 50.2 % of children under 6 months2020: 65 % 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

East Timor recorded 65.0% for exclusive breastfeeding rate in 2020. That is the highest value across all 6 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 28.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, exclusive breastfeeding rate in East Timor peaked at 65.0% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 30.7%, in 2003.

That places East Timor 8th out of 72 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 37.4% 30.7% 44.0% 2
2010s 54.4% 50.2% 62.3% 3
2020s 65.0% 65.0% 65.0% 1

Countries ranked near East Timor

  1. 5 Uganda 65.5% compare
  2. 6 Peru 65.3% compare
  3. 7 Cambodia 65.2% compare
  4. 9 Togo 64.3% compare
  5. 10 Eswatini 63.8% compare
  6. 11 Sao Tome and Principe 63.1% compare

See the full ranking of 72 places →

More reference data data for East Timor

All data for East Timor →

Frequently asked questions

What is exclusive breastfeeding rate in East Timor?
Exclusive breastfeeding rate in East Timor was 65.0% in 2020, 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 East Timor?
The highest recorded value was 65.0% in 2020.
What is the lowest exclusive breastfeeding rate recorded in East Timor?
The lowest recorded value was 30.7% in 2003.
How does East Timor rank for exclusive breastfeeding rate?
East Timor ranks 8th out of 72 countries with data for 2020.
Is exclusive breastfeeding rate rising or falling in East Timor?
Over the last ten years it is up 28.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this East Timor 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.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 6 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

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.