Lifetime risk of maternal death in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Lifetime risk of maternal death was 1.9% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Lifetime risk of maternal death in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1985–2023
Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, lifetime risk of maternal death in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) stood at 1.9%. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.5% on the previous year and down 38.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lifetime risk of maternal death in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 7.1% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 1.9%, in 2023.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 4th of 47 groups on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.
Lifetime risk of maternal death in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 7.1% | — |
| 1986 | 6.8% | -3.5% |
| 1987 | 6.9% | +1.7% |
| 1988 | 6.5% | -5.6% |
| 1989 | 6.3% | -3.4% |
| 1990 | 6.1% | -2.9% |
| 1991 | 5.9% | -3.5% |
| 1992 | 5.9% | -0.2% |
| 1993 | 5.7% | -3.3% |
| 1994 | 5.4% | -5.7% |
| 1995 | 5.1% | -5.7% |
| 1996 | 4.9% | -2.9% |
| 1997 | 4.7% | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 4.8% | +1.4% |
| 1999 | 4.3% | -9.9% |
| 2000 | 4.1% | -4.2% |
| 2001 | 4.0% | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 3.9% | -3.2% |
| 2003 | 3.7% | -3.9% |
| 2004 | 3.6% | -3.1% |
| 2005 | 3.6% | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 3.5% | -0.6% |
| 2007 | 3.5% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 3.5% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 3.5% | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 3.4% | -2.0% |
| 2011 | 3.3% | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 3.2% | -3.2% |
| 2013 | 3.1% | -2.7% |
| 2014 | 3.0% | -2.5% |
| 2015 | 2.9% | -3.5% |
| 2016 | 2.8% | -5.1% |
| 2017 | 2.6% | -5.4% |
| 2018 | 2.5% | -6.7% |
| 2019 | 2.3% | -5.3% |
| 2020 | 2.2% | -6.1% |
| 2021 | 2.2% | +0.8% |
| 2022 | 2.0% | -10.1% |
| 2023 | 1.9% | -3.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.7% | 6.3% | 7.1% | 5 |
| 1990s | 5.3% | 4.3% | 6.1% | 10 |
| 2000s | 3.7% | 3.5% | 4.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 2.9% | 2.3% | 3.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.1% | 1.9% | 2.2% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- 1 Central African Republic 4.2% compare
- 2 Chad 4.2% compare
- 3 Nigeria 4.1% compare
- 4 Somalia 3.4% compare
- 5 Liberia 2.5% compare
- 6 Afghanistan 2.5% compare
- 7 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 2.5% compare
More health data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Population ages 50-54, male, annual growth rate 3.53 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, male, annual growth rate 3.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per capita 0.0125 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, male, per capita 0.0617 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, annual growth rate 3.3 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per capita 0.0147 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, female, annual growth rate 2.62 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, female, per capita 0.054 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lifetime risk of maternal death in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Lifetime risk of maternal death in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 1.9% 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 (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 7.1% in 1985.
- What is the lowest lifetime risk of maternal death recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.9% in 2023.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for lifetime risk of maternal death?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 4th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is lifetime risk of maternal death rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 38.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) 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.