Lifetime risk of maternal death in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries): Lifetime risk of maternal death was 52 1 in: rate varies by country in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
52 1 in: rate varies by country
Change on year
up 2.0%
Rank
43rd
of 47 groups
All-time high
52 1 in: rate varies by country
in 2023
All-time low
14 1 in: rate varies by country
in 1985
Years of data
39
1985–2023
Lifetime risk of maternal death in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), 1985–2023
Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in 1 in: rate varies by country.
Analysis
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) recorded 52 1 in: rate varies by country for lifetime risk of maternal death in 2023. That is the highest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.0% on the previous year and up 62.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lifetime risk of maternal death in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) peaked at 52 1 in: rate varies by country in 2023 and was at its lowest, 14 1 in: rate varies by country, in 1985.
Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 43rd of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Lifetime risk of maternal death in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries), year by year
| Year | 1 in: rate varies by country | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 14 1 in: rate varies by country | — |
| 1986 | 15 1 in: rate varies by country | +7.1% |
| 1987 | 14 1 in: rate varies by country | -6.7% |
| 1988 | 15 1 in: rate varies by country | +7.1% |
| 1989 | 16 1 in: rate varies by country | +6.7% |
| 1990 | 16 1 in: rate varies by country | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 17 1 in: rate varies by country | +6.2% |
| 1992 | 17 1 in: rate varies by country | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 18 1 in: rate varies by country | +5.9% |
| 1994 | 19 1 in: rate varies by country | +5.6% |
| 1995 | 20 1 in: rate varies by country | +5.3% |
| 1996 | 20 1 in: rate varies by country | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 21 1 in: rate varies by country | +5.0% |
| 1998 | 21 1 in: rate varies by country | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 23 1 in: rate varies by country | +9.5% |
| 2000 | 24 1 in: rate varies by country | +4.3% |
| 2001 | 25 1 in: rate varies by country | +4.2% |
| 2002 | 26 1 in: rate varies by country | +4.0% |
| 2003 | 27 1 in: rate varies by country | +3.8% |
| 2004 | 28 1 in: rate varies by country | +3.7% |
| 2005 | 28 1 in: rate varies by country | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 28 1 in: rate varies by country | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 28 1 in: rate varies by country | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 28 1 in: rate varies by country | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 29 1 in: rate varies by country | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 29 1 in: rate varies by country | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 30 1 in: rate varies by country | +3.4% |
| 2012 | 31 1 in: rate varies by country | +3.3% |
| 2013 | 32 1 in: rate varies by country | +3.2% |
| 2014 | 33 1 in: rate varies by country | +3.1% |
| 2015 | 34 1 in: rate varies by country | +3.0% |
| 2016 | 36 1 in: rate varies by country | +5.9% |
| 2017 | 38 1 in: rate varies by country | +5.6% |
| 2018 | 41 1 in: rate varies by country | +7.9% |
| 2019 | 43 1 in: rate varies by country | +4.9% |
| 2020 | 46 1 in: rate varies by country | +7.0% |
| 2021 | 45 1 in: rate varies by country | -2.2% |
| 2022 | 51 1 in: rate varies by country | +13.3% |
| 2023 | 52 1 in: rate varies by country | +2.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 14.8 1 in: rate varies by country | 14 1 in: rate varies by country | 16 1 in: rate varies by country | 5 |
| 1990s | 19.2 1 in: rate varies by country | 16 1 in: rate varies by country | 23 1 in: rate varies by country | 10 |
| 2000s | 27.1 1 in: rate varies by country | 24 1 in: rate varies by country | 29 1 in: rate varies by country | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.7 1 in: rate varies by country | 29 1 in: rate varies by country | 43 1 in: rate varies by country | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.5 1 in: rate varies by country | 45 1 in: rate varies by country | 52 1 in: rate varies by country | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- 40 France 9,984 1 in: rate varies by country compare
- 41 Kuwait 9,387 1 in: rate varies by country compare
- 42 New Zealand 9,363 1 in: rate varies by country compare
- 43 Chile 9,268 1 in: rate varies by country compare
- 44 Russia 9,237 1 in: rate varies by country compare
- 45 Ukraine 9,109 1 in: rate varies by country compare
- 46 United Kingdom 8,751 1 in: rate varies by country compare
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 3.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.024 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 3.23 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0282 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, annual growth rate 2.8 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0287 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, female, annual growth rate 2.69 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lifetime risk of maternal death in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Lifetime risk of maternal death in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) was 52 1 in: rate varies by country in 2023, according to Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest lifetime risk of maternal death recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The highest recorded value was 52 1 in: rate varies by country in 2023.
- What is the lowest lifetime risk of maternal death recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- The lowest recorded value was 14 1 in: rate varies by country in 1985.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) rank for lifetime risk of maternal death?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) ranks 43rd out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is lifetime risk of maternal death rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 62.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (IDA & IBRD countries) data come from?
- The figures come from Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Lifetime risk of maternal death (1 in: rate varies by country). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.