Which has higher lifetime risk of maternal death, Nigeria or Sub-Saharan Africa?

Nigeria, at 4.1% against 1.8% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2023.

How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa?

39 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2023.

Where does this data come from?

Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO), published as Lifetime risk of maternal death (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Nigeria vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Lifetime risk of maternal death

Nigeria

4.1%

in 2023

Sub-Saharan Africa

1.8%

in 2023

Nigeria rank

3rd

Sub-Saharan Africa rank

6th

Lifetime risk of maternal death over time

Nigeria
Sub-Saharan Africa

How they compare

Nigeria currently reports 4.1% against 1.8% in Sub-Saharan Africa, a difference of 2.3%.

That makes Nigeria's figure about 2.2 times Sub-Saharan Africa's.

Across all 39 years both countries report, Nigeria has been ahead every year.

Nigeria ranks 3rd and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 6th of 194 countries.

Nigeria has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Nigeria	Sub-Saharan Africa	Difference	Ahead
1980s	7.9%	6.1%	1.8%	Nigeria
1990s	6.8%	4.7%	2.1%	Nigeria
2000s	6.0%	3.4%	2.6%	Nigeria
2010s	5.7%	2.7%	3.0%	Nigeria
2020s	4.3%	1.9%	2.4%	Nigeria

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher lifetime risk of maternal death, Nigeria or Sub-Saharan Africa?: Nigeria, at 4.1% against 1.8% in Sub-Saharan Africa as of 2023.
What is the difference in lifetime risk of maternal death between Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa?: 2.3%, with Nigeria ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa?: 39 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2023.
How do Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa rank globally for lifetime risk of maternal death?: Nigeria ranks 3rd and Sub-Saharan Africa ranks 6th of 194 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO), published as Lifetime risk of maternal death (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Nigeria vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Lifetime risk of maternal death. Statizoid, drawing on Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/lifetime-risk-of-maternal-death-percent/nigeria/sub-saharan-africa/

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<a href="https://health.statizoid.com/compare/lifetime-risk-of-maternal-death-percent/nigeria/sub-saharan-africa/">Nigeria vs Sub-Saharan Africa: Lifetime risk of maternal death</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Lifetime risk of maternal death (%)
Unit: %
Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 241 places, 9,399 data points, 1985–2023
Last refreshed: 03 September 2026

Life time risk of maternal death is the probability that a 15-year-old female will die eventually from a maternal cause assuming that current levels of fertility and mortality (including maternal mortality) do not change in the future, taking into account competing causes of death.