Breastfeeding Statistics

National Statistics carried out its Infant Feeding Survey every five years. The figures from the 2005 survey were published in March 2008. The 2005 figures show some significant improvements from the 2000 survey.

Key findings were:

• The proportion of babies' breastfed at birth in the UK rose by seven per cent.
• Commencement rates in both Scotland and Northern Ireland rose by eight per cent and those in England and Wales by seven per cent.
• 3-Scotland, has the largest increases in the dominance of breastfeeding at ages up to nine months in 2000, appears to have stabilized in 2005, with a small increase in the rate at four months and no increase at six and nine months. By contrast, the other countries show an increase at all ages.

Generally, only 35 per cent of UK babies are being completely breastfed at one week, 21 per cent at six weeks, 7 per cent at four months and 3 per cent at five months. In 2005, for the first time, figures for Wales were separated from those for England. This will enable each country to see their individual progress at the next survey in 2010.