Number of maternal deaths in Kenya
Kenya: Number of maternal deaths was 7,716 deaths in 2020. ▲ Rising
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.
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
- 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)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 3 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 3 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 504,714 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 527,528 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 526,588 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 546,326 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 548,338 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 564,731 (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
The estimated number of maternal deaths in a given year.