Reference charts
Normal Respiratory Rate by Age
Respiratory rate is the number of breaths in one minute at rest. Adults usually breathe 12 to 20 times a minute; babies breathe far faster, and the rate falls quickly over the first two years. The table pairs the ranges clinicians use with the source for each.
Updated . Educational reference, not medical advice.
Reference Data
| Age | Reference | Breaths per minute | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Birth | Median of healthy babies | 44 | Fleming 2011 |
| Under 2 months | Fast breathing | 60 or more | WHO |
| 2 to 12 months | Fast breathing | 50 or more | WHO |
| 2 years | Median of healthy children | 26 | Fleming 2011 |
| 12 months to 5 years | Fast breathing | 40 or more | WHO |
| Adults | Normal (NEWS2 score 0) | 12–20 | RCP NEWS2 |
| Adults | Mildly low (score 1) | 9–11 | RCP NEWS2 |
| Adults | High (score 2) | 21–24 | RCP NEWS2 |
| Adults | Extreme (score 3) | 8 or less, or 25 or more | RCP NEWS2 |
Source: RCP NEWS2 (2017); WHO Pocket Book of Hospital Care for Children; Fleming et al., Lancet 2011.
How to read this chart
For adults, the clearest published reference is the Royal College of Physicians' NEWS2 chart, which hospitals in the UK use to score vital signs. A rate of 12 to 20 scores zero, meaning no concern on that measure; the further outside it, the higher the score.
For children there is no single adult-style range. The WHO's "fast breathing" thresholds (60 or more under 2 months, 50 or more from 2 to 12 months, 40 or more from 1 to 5 years) are used to spot pneumonia, so they mark the top of normal rather than the middle. Fleming and colleagues pooled studies of 3,881 healthy children and found the median rate fell from 44 breaths per minute at birth to 26 at age 2, with the steepest drop in the first two years. They also found that many published paediatric ranges disagree with the real data.
How to count breathing rate
Count for a full 60 seconds while the person is at rest and not aware you are counting, since people breathe differently when watched. Each rise and fall of the chest is one breath. WHO guidance for infants is to count for a full minute and repeat the count if it is high.
Breathing rate from a watch or ring
Wearables don't count breaths directly. They estimate respiratory rate from the small rhythmic changes breathing causes in the PPG pulse signal, usually during sleep when motion is low. See how PPG estimates respiratory rate and whether a phone camera can measure it.
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Frequently asked questions
What is a normal respiratory rate for adults?
12 to 20 breaths per minute at rest. That is the band that scores zero on the Royal College of Physicians' NEWS2 chart.
What is a normal breathing rate for a baby?
Healthy newborns breathe about 44 times a minute (median, Fleming 2011). The WHO treats 60 or more breaths a minute as fast breathing under 2 months of age, and 50 or more from 2 to 12 months.
Is 22 breaths per minute normal for an adult?
It is above the 12–20 range; NEWS2 gives 21 to 24 a score of 2. A single count after activity, talking or anxiety can be high, so recount at rest. A clinician should assess a persistently fast rate.
References
- Royal College of Physicians. National Early Warning Score (NEWS) 2, Chart 1: the NEWS scoring system. 2017. www.rcp.ac.uk/resources/national-early-warning-score-news-2/
- World Health Organization. Pocket Book of Hospital Care for Children, ch. 4: Cough or difficult breathing. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK143752/
- Fleming S, et al. Normal ranges of heart rate and respiratory rate in children from birth to 18 years of age. Lancet 2011;377:1011–1018. doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(10)62226-X