Lifetime risk of maternal death in Sierra Leone
Sierra Leone: Lifetime risk of maternal death was 1.35 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
1.35
Change on year
down 6.2%
World rank
20th
of 194 countries
All-time high
10.42
in 1995
All-time low
1.35
in 2023
Years of data
39
1985–2023
Lifetime risk of maternal death in Sierra Leone, 1985–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for lifetime risk of maternal death in Sierra Leone is 1.35, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
The figure is down 6.2% on the previous year and down 65.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lifetime risk of maternal death in Sierra Leone peaked at 10.42 in 1995 and was at its lowest, 1.35, in 2023.
That places Sierra Leone 20th out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 Sierra Leone, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 9 | — |
| 1986 | 9.11 | +1.2% |
| 1987 | 9.13 | +0.2% |
| 1988 | 9.17 | +0.5% |
| 1989 | 9.28 | +1.1% |
| 1990 | 9.08 | -2.1% |
| 1991 | 10.23 | +12.6% |
| 1992 | 9.99 | -2.3% |
| 1993 | 10.05 | +0.6% |
| 1994 | 10.31 | +2.6% |
| 1995 | 10.42 | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 10.07 | -3.4% |
| 1997 | 9.99 | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 10.15 | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 9.98 | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 9.06 | -9.2% |
| 2001 | 8.41 | -7.3% |
| 2002 | 8.34 | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 7.88 | -5.5% |
| 2004 | 7.35 | -6.7% |
| 2005 | 6.9 | -6.1% |
| 2006 | 6.25 | -9.4% |
| 2007 | 5.95 | -4.9% |
| 2008 | 5.67 | -4.7% |
| 2009 | 5.36 | -5.5% |
| 2010 | 5.07 | -5.4% |
| 2011 | 4.74 | -6.6% |
| 2012 | 4.38 | -7.4% |
| 2013 | 3.91 | -10.8% |
| 2014 | 3.69 | -5.7% |
| 2015 | 3.2 | -13.3% |
| 2016 | 2.75 | -14.2% |
| 2017 | 2.48 | -9.7% |
| 2018 | 2.08 | -16.0% |
| 2019 | 1.93 | -7.5% |
| 2020 | 1.72 | -10.8% |
| 2021 | 1.61 | -6.6% |
| 2022 | 1.44 | -10.1% |
| 2023 | 1.35 | -6.2% |
Sierra Leone compared with similar countries
- Sierra Leone's 1.35 is below the median for low income countries, which is 1.39, 97% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sierra Leone's 1.35 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1.08, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.14 | 9 | 9.28 | 5 |
| 1990s | 10.03 | 9.08 | 10.42 | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.12 | 5.36 | 9.06 | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.42 | 1.93 | 5.07 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.53 | 1.35 | 1.72 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Sierra Leone
More health data for Sierra Leone
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.34 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.773 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 4,209 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 38 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.6447 % 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 0.0663 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.6611 % 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 0.0676 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lifetime risk of maternal death in Sierra Leone?
- Lifetime risk of maternal death in Sierra Leone was 1.35 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest lifetime risk of maternal death recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The highest recorded value was 10.42 in 1995.
- What is the lowest lifetime risk of maternal death recorded in Sierra Leone?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.35 in 2023.
- How does Sierra Leone rank for lifetime risk of maternal death?
- Sierra Leone ranks 20th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is lifetime risk of maternal death rising or falling in Sierra Leone?
- Over the last ten years it is down 65.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sierra Leone 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).