Lifetime risk of maternal death in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Lifetime risk of maternal death was 1.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Lifetime risk of maternal death in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1985–2023
Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, lifetime risk of maternal death in Africa Eastern and Southern stood at 1.2%. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 42.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lifetime risk of maternal death in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 6.7% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 2023.
Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 11th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.
Lifetime risk of maternal death in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 6.7% | — |
| 1986 | 6.4% | -5.1% |
| 1987 | 6.7% | +4.9% |
| 1988 | 6.2% | -8.0% |
| 1989 | 5.9% | -4.2% |
| 1990 | 5.7% | -3.7% |
| 1991 | 5.4% | -4.3% |
| 1992 | 5.6% | +2.2% |
| 1993 | 5.4% | -3.3% |
| 1994 | 4.9% | -8.4% |
| 1995 | 4.5% | -8.3% |
| 1996 | 4.3% | -3.8% |
| 1997 | 4.1% | -5.1% |
| 1998 | 4.3% | +3.9% |
| 1999 | 3.6% | -16.8% |
| 2000 | 3.3% | -6.5% |
| 2001 | 3.2% | -5.1% |
| 2002 | 3.0% | -4.6% |
| 2003 | 2.9% | -5.5% |
| 2004 | 2.7% | -4.2% |
| 2005 | 2.7% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 2.7% | -1.3% |
| 2007 | 2.6% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 2.6% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 2.5% | -3.2% |
| 2010 | 2.5% | -3.8% |
| 2011 | 2.3% | -5.1% |
| 2012 | 2.2% | -6.1% |
| 2013 | 2.1% | -4.5% |
| 2014 | 2.0% | -3.4% |
| 2015 | 1.9% | -4.7% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | -5.6% |
| 2017 | 1.7% | -6.7% |
| 2018 | 1.6% | -8.2% |
| 2019 | 1.4% | -6.5% |
| 2020 | 1.3% | -7.0% |
| 2021 | 1.4% | +6.0% |
| 2022 | 1.2% | -14.7% |
| 2023 | 1.2% | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.4% | 5.9% | 6.7% | 5 |
| 1990s | 4.8% | 3.6% | 5.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 2.8% | 2.5% | 3.3% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.4% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.3% | 1.2% | 1.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
- 8 South Sudan 2.4% compare
- 9 Benin 2.3% compare
- 10 Niger 2.1% compare
- 11 Guinea 2.1% compare
- 12 Mali 2.0% compare
- 13 Guinea-Bissau 1.9% compare
- 14 Madagascar 1.8% compare
More health data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0293 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 3.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0242 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 3.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0284 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 3.18 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 30-34, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lifetime risk of maternal death in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Lifetime risk of maternal death in Africa Eastern and Southern was 1.2% in 2023, according to Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest lifetime risk of maternal death recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 6.7% in 1985.
- What is the lowest lifetime risk of maternal death recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 2023.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for lifetime risk of maternal death?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 11th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is lifetime risk of maternal death rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is down 42.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
- The figures come from Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Lifetime risk of maternal death (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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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.