Lifetime risk of maternal death in Kenya
Kenya: Lifetime risk of maternal death was 0.4793 in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
0.4793
Change on year
down 5.8%
World rank
47th
of 194 countries
All-time high
9.42
in 1985
All-time low
0.4793
in 2023
Years of data
39
1985–2023
Lifetime risk of maternal death in Kenya, 1985–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Kenya recorded 0.4793 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 5.8% on the previous year and down 43.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lifetime risk of maternal death in Kenya peaked at 9.42 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 0.4793, in 2023.
That places Kenya 47th out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Lifetime risk of maternal death in Kenya, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 9.42 | — |
| 1986 | 7.2 | -23.5% |
| 1987 | 6.46 | -10.3% |
| 1988 | 4.99 | -22.7% |
| 1989 | 4.28 | -14.2% |
| 1990 | 3.64 | -15.1% |
| 1991 | 2.98 | -18.1% |
| 1992 | 2.45 | -17.7% |
| 1993 | 2.07 | -15.6% |
| 1994 | 1.9 | -8.4% |
| 1995 | 1.69 | -10.9% |
| 1996 | 1.48 | -12.2% |
| 1997 | 1.35 | -8.9% |
| 1998 | 1.33 | -1.8% |
| 1999 | 1.14 | -14.3% |
| 2000 | 1.07 | -6.1% |
| 2001 | 0.9647 | -9.7% |
| 2002 | 0.9207 | -4.6% |
| 2003 | 0.8832 | -4.1% |
| 2004 | 0.8701 | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 0.8662 | -0.5% |
| 2006 | 0.9092 | +5.0% |
| 2007 | 0.953 | +4.8% |
| 2008 | 0.9358 | -1.8% |
| 2009 | 0.9701 | +3.7% |
| 2010 | 0.9582 | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 0.9213 | -3.8% |
| 2012 | 0.9081 | -1.4% |
| 2013 | 0.8419 | -7.3% |
| 2014 | 0.8021 | -4.7% |
| 2015 | 0.7847 | -2.2% |
| 2016 | 0.7374 | -6.0% |
| 2017 | 0.6838 | -7.3% |
| 2018 | 0.6558 | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 0.6082 | -7.3% |
| 2020 | 0.6201 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 0.607 | -2.1% |
| 2022 | 0.5089 | -16.2% |
| 2023 | 0.4793 | -5.8% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 0.4793 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 0.3773, 1.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 0.4793 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.08, 44% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.47 | 4.28 | 9.42 | 5 |
| 1990s | 2 | 1.14 | 3.64 | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.9341 | 0.8662 | 1.07 | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.7902 | 0.6082 | 0.9582 | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.5538 | 0.4793 | 0.6201 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Kenya
More health data for Kenya
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6026 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 16,059 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 89 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0621 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.063 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lifetime risk of maternal death in Kenya?
- Lifetime risk of maternal death in Kenya was 0.4793 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lifetime risk of maternal death recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 9.42 in 1985.
- What is the lowest lifetime risk of maternal death recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.4793 in 2023.
- How does Kenya rank for lifetime risk of maternal death?
- Kenya ranks 47th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is lifetime risk of maternal death rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is down 43.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Lifetime risk of maternal death. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).