India scores high on breastfeeding code: WHO

Countries substantially aligned with the International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes report exclusive breastfeeding rates of 54%, compared with 24% in countries with no legal measures. This was stated in the latest report put out on the occasion of World Breastfeeding Protection Day on May 21, assessing the extent to which the code has been implemented by various countries.

India was among the countries categorised as "Substantially aligned with the Code" and its last health survey (2019-21) showed that almost 64% children under six months were exclusively breastfed, a substantial improvement from 55% in 2015-16. The report was prepared by WHO's department of nutrition and food safety (NFS), in collaboration with WHO's department of maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and ageing.

Bangladesh, followed closely by India, scored the highest in South Asia in implementing the code. China did very poorly and its exclusive breastfeeding rate is just about 29%. India got a full score on regulating promotion to the general public and inside health facilities and high score on monitoring and labelling but scored very poorly on producing information material to promote breastfeeding and prohibiting industry-produced material.

Most European countries and the Americas did very poorly on code implementation.

The report noted that between 2024 and early 2026, 19 countries enacted new legal measures to implement the Code, with 15 showing improved alignment.

"Thirty-seven countries have legislation substantially aligned with the code, protecting 45% of the world's newborns from unethical marketing. This is an increase from only 25 countries in 2020. A total of 148 countries - 76% of WHO member states - have enacted laws covering at least some provisions. Alignment is highest in the WHO African, Eastern Mediterranean, and South-East Asia region," stated the report.

Globally, rates of exclusive breastfeeding in the first six months of life have increased by 10 percentage points over the past decade and had reached 48%, according to the Global Breastfeeding Scorecard for 2025. This was a little short of the World Health Assembly target of 50%. WHO and UNICEF have set a new target to increase the rate of exclusive breastfeeding for infants under six months to at least 60% by 2030.