Lifetime risk of maternal death (%) (Trends) in Zambia
Zambia: Lifetime risk of maternal death (%) (Trends) was 0.4% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Lifetime risk of maternal death in Zambia, 1985–2023
Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in %.
Analysis
Zambia recorded 0.4% for lifetime risk of maternal death in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.0% on the previous year and down 66.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lifetime risk of maternal death in Zambia peaked at 4.0% in 1987 and was at its lowest, 0.4%, in 2023.
That places Zambia 56th out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Lifetime risk of maternal death (%) (Trends) in Zambia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 3.9% | — |
| 1986 | 4.0% | +2.6% |
| 1987 | 4.0% | +0.4% |
| 1988 | 4.0% | -0.7% |
| 1989 | 4.0% | -1.2% |
| 1990 | 3.8% | -3.1% |
| 1991 | 3.7% | -3.7% |
| 1992 | 3.4% | -6.6% |
| 1993 | 3.1% | -9.1% |
| 1994 | 3.0% | -5.5% |
| 1995 | 2.7% | -8.9% |
| 1996 | 2.5% | -8.3% |
| 1997 | 2.3% | -8.0% |
| 1998 | 2.2% | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 2.1% | -4.6% |
| 2000 | 1.9% | -10.8% |
| 2001 | 1.6% | -11.4% |
| 2002 | 1.5% | -11.0% |
| 2003 | 1.3% | -9.0% |
| 2004 | 1.4% | +3.8% |
| 2005 | 1.4% | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 1.4% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 1.7% | +23.0% |
| 2008 | 2.1% | +21.2% |
| 2009 | 2.2% | +2.5% |
| 2010 | 1.8% | -18.9% |
| 2011 | 1.5% | -13.2% |
| 2012 | 1.3% | -13.4% |
| 2013 | 1.1% | -18.3% |
| 2014 | 0.9% | -20.2% |
| 2015 | 0.7% | -12.8% |
| 2016 | 0.7% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | 0.7% | -12.3% |
| 2018 | 0.5% | -18.3% |
| 2019 | 0.5% | -13.5% |
| 2020 | 0.4% | -5.7% |
| 2021 | 0.6% | +38.6% |
| 2022 | 0.4% | -36.7% |
| 2023 | 0.4% | -6.0% |
Zambia compared with similar countries
- Zambia's 0.4% is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.4%, 96% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Zambia's 0.4% is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.1%, 33% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4.0% | 3.9% | 4.0% | 5 |
| 1990s | 2.9% | 2.1% | 3.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.7% | 1.3% | 2.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.0% | 0.5% | 1.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.4% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
More health data for Zambia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.09 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7971 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 8,894 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.68 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0743 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.69 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0744 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lifetime risk of maternal death in Zambia?
- Lifetime risk of maternal death in Zambia was 0.4% in 2023, according to Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest lifetime risk of maternal death recorded in Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 4.0% in 1987.
- What is the lowest lifetime risk of maternal death recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4% in 2023.
- How does Zambia rank for lifetime risk of maternal death?
- Zambia ranks 56th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is lifetime risk of maternal death rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 66.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Zambia 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.
Download this data
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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.