Share of women who are expected to die from pregnancy-related causes in South Africa
South Africa: Share of women who are expected to die from pregnancy-related causes was 0.2% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Share of women who are expected to die from pregnancy-related causes in South Africa, 1985–2023
Source: World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, UNFPA, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
South Africa recorded 0.2% for share of women who are expected to die from pregnancy-related causes in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
The figure is down 10.2% on the previous year and down 40.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of women who are expected to die from pregnancy-related causes in South Africa peaked at 0.9% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2023.
That places South Africa 69th out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.
Share of women who are expected to die from pregnancy-related causes in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 0.9% | — |
| 1986 | 0.9% | -6.0% |
| 1987 | 0.8% | -5.1% |
| 1988 | 0.8% | -8.0% |
| 1989 | 0.7% | -8.3% |
| 1990 | 0.6% | -10.3% |
| 1991 | 0.6% | -7.0% |
| 1992 | 0.5% | -10.3% |
| 1993 | 0.5% | -5.6% |
| 1994 | 0.4% | -16.1% |
| 1995 | 0.4% | -6.4% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | +12.1% |
| 1997 | 0.4% | -5.5% |
| 1998 | 0.4% | -5.0% |
| 1999 | 0.4% | -4.8% |
| 2000 | 0.4% | +6.2% |
| 2001 | 0.4% | +5.5% |
| 2002 | 0.5% | +11.7% |
| 2003 | 0.5% | +8.5% |
| 2004 | 0.5% | +7.8% |
| 2005 | 0.6% | +10.0% |
| 2006 | 0.6% | +3.7% |
| 2007 | 0.6% | -3.3% |
| 2008 | 0.6% | +6.4% |
| 2009 | 0.5% | -15.8% |
| 2010 | 0.5% | -7.5% |
| 2011 | 0.5% | -9.5% |
| 2012 | 0.4% | -2.7% |
| 2013 | 0.4% | -7.0% |
| 2014 | 0.4% | -9.1% |
| 2015 | 0.3% | -9.6% |
| 2016 | 0.3% | -8.6% |
| 2017 | 0.3% | -5.7% |
| 2018 | 0.3% | -5.0% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | -6.6% |
| 2020 | 0.3% | -1.7% |
| 2021 | 0.4% | +59.3% |
| 2022 | 0.3% | -32.8% |
| 2023 | 0.2% | -10.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 0.8% | 0.7% | 0.9% | 5 |
| 1990s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2000s | 0.5% | 0.4% | 0.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3% | 0.2% | 0.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
More health data for South Africa
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.2 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1386 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,152 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 3,333 deaths (2100)
- Population ages 65-69, male, annual growth rate 2.84 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 65-69, male, per capita 0.0116 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, annual growth rate 4.91 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 70-74, female, per capita 0.0115 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of women who are expected to die from pregnancy-related causes in South Africa?
- Share of women who are expected to die from pregnancy-related causes in South Africa was 0.2% in 2023, according to World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, UNFPA, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of women who are expected to die from pregnancy-related causes recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 0.9% in 1985.
- What is the lowest share of women who are expected to die from pregnancy-related causes recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2023.
- How does South Africa rank for share of women who are expected to die from pregnancy-related causes?
- South Africa ranks 69th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of women who are expected to die from pregnancy-related causes rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is down 40.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization (WHO), UNICEF, UNFPA, and World Bank (2026) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of women who are expected to die from pregnancy-related causes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The probability that a 15 year old girl eventually dies from a pregnancy-related cause, assuming constant levels of maternal mortality and number of births per woman.