In 2023, the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding in the region was estimated at 43.4 percent, below the global estimate of 47.8 percent (Figure 19 and Table 12). South America was the subregion with the highest prevalence, at 49.8 percent, close to the 2025 WHA target of 50 percent, but still below the 2030 target of increasing the rate of exclusive breastfeeding during the first 6 months of life to at least 60 percent. Mesoamerica and the Caribbean remain further from these targets, with prevalence levels of 38.6 and 31.3 percent, respectively, in 2023. All subregions made progress in increasing the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding between 2012 and 2023, with Mesoamerica recording the most notable increase (17 percentage points). Over the same period, the prevalence increased 7.7 percentage points in South America and 1.9 percentage points in the Caribbean.
| 2012 | 2023 | |
| World | 37.0 | 47.8 |
| Latin America and the Caribbean | 34.0 | 43.4 |
| Caribbean | 29.4 | 31.3 |
| Mesoamerica | 21.6 | 38.6 |
| South America | 42.1 | 49.8 |
An analysis of country level data on exclusive breastfeeding (Figure 20) shows substantial disparities, both in terms of the levels of the indicator and its evolution over the last 20 years. Data on exclusive breastfeeding was available for 18 countries in the region. Of these, three countries have already reached the 2025 WHA target of 50 percent of infants under 6 months of age being exclusively breastfed: Peru, Guatemala and the Plurinational State of Bolivia. Peru has also achieved the 2030 WHA target, with a prevalence exceeding 60 percent. Between 2000 and 2023, 15 out of the 18 countries increased the prevalence of exclusive breastfeeding. In contrast, Costa Rica, Cuba and Honduras recorded a decline in this indicator over the same period.6 6 Data is not available for all countries in the same years; therefore, cross-country comparisons take into account different time periods.
