Number of maternal deaths in Kenya
Kenya: Number of maternal deaths was 7,716 deaths in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
7,716 deaths
Change on year
up 5.7%
World rank
9th
of 185 countries
All-time high
7,716 deaths
in 2020
All-time low
5,296 deaths
in 1985
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Number of maternal deaths in Kenya, 1985–2020
Source: UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2020, number of maternal deaths in Kenya stood at 7,716 deaths. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is up 5.7% on the previous year and up 10.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of maternal deaths in Kenya peaked at 7,716 deaths in 2020 and was at its lowest, 5,296 deaths, in 1985.
Kenya ranks 9th of 185 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Number of maternal deaths in Kenya, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 5,296 deaths | — |
| 1986 | 5,785 deaths | +9.2% |
| 1987 | 5,917 deaths | +2.3% |
| 1988 | 5,853 deaths | -1.1% |
| 1989 | 6,122 deaths | +4.6% |
| 1990 | 5,876 deaths | -4.0% |
| 1991 | 5,763 deaths | -1.9% |
| 1992 | 5,907 deaths | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 5,876 deaths | -0.5% |
| 1994 | 5,875 deaths | -0.0% |
| 1995 | 6,131 deaths | +4.4% |
| 1996 | 6,236 deaths | +1.7% |
| 1997 | 6,103 deaths | -2.1% |
| 1998 | 6,374 deaths | +4.5% |
| 1999 | 6,564 deaths | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 6,946 deaths | +5.8% |
| 2001 | 7,208 deaths | +3.8% |
| 2002 | 6,962 deaths | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 6,926 deaths | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 6,790 deaths | -2.0% |
| 2005 | 6,947 deaths | +2.3% |
| 2006 | 6,976 deaths | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 7,164 deaths | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 7,112 deaths | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 6,851 deaths | -3.7% |
| 2010 | 6,995 deaths | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 6,908 deaths | -1.2% |
| 2012 | 6,921 deaths | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 7,433 deaths | +7.4% |
| 2014 | 7,278 deaths | -2.1% |
| 2015 | 7,013 deaths | -3.6% |
| 2016 | 7,353 deaths | +4.9% |
| 2017 | 7,143 deaths | -2.9% |
| 2018 | 7,468 deaths | +4.5% |
| 2019 | 7,297 deaths | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 7,716 deaths | +5.7% |
Kenya compared with similar countries
- Kenya's 7,716 deaths is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 485.35 deaths, 15.9× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Kenya's 7,716 deaths is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,625 deaths, 4.7× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 5,795 deaths | 5,296 deaths | 6,122 deaths | 5 |
| 1990s | 6,071 deaths | 5,763 deaths | 6,564 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 6,988 deaths | 6,790 deaths | 7,208 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 7,181 deaths | 6,908 deaths | 7,468 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 7,716 deaths | 7,716 deaths | 7,716 deaths | 1 |
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)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,119 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 16,059 deaths (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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of maternal deaths in Kenya?
- Number of maternal deaths in Kenya was 7,716 deaths in 2020, according to UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of maternal deaths recorded in Kenya?
- The highest recorded value was 7,716 deaths in 2020.
- What is the lowest number of maternal deaths recorded in Kenya?
- The lowest recorded value was 5,296 deaths in 1985.
- How does Kenya rank for number of maternal deaths?
- Kenya ranks 9th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
- Is number of maternal deaths rising or falling in Kenya?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Kenya data come from?
- The figures come from UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of maternal deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of maternal deaths in a given year.