Number of maternal deaths in Sudan
Sudan: Number of maternal deaths was 4,112 deaths in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
4,112 deaths
Change on year
down 8.4%
World rank
16th
of 185 countries
All-time high
14,857 deaths
in 1988
All-time low
4,043 deaths
in 2014
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Number of maternal deaths in Sudan, 1985–2020
Source: UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths.
Analysis
In 2020, number of maternal deaths in Sudan stood at 4,112 deaths.
That represents a change of down 8.4% on the previous year and down 15.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of maternal deaths in Sudan peaked at 14,857 deaths in 1988 and was at its lowest, 4,043 deaths, in 2014.
That places Sudan 16th out of 185 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Number of maternal deaths in Sudan, year by year
| Year | deaths | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 10,466 deaths | — |
| 1986 | 8,815 deaths | -15.8% |
| 1987 | 11,330 deaths | +28.5% |
| 1988 | 14,857 deaths | +31.1% |
| 1989 | 9,416 deaths | -36.6% |
| 1990 | 8,961 deaths | -4.8% |
| 1991 | 8,878 deaths | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 10,408 deaths | +17.2% |
| 1993 | 10,183 deaths | -2.2% |
| 1994 | 7,177 deaths | -29.5% |
| 1995 | 8,396 deaths | +17.0% |
| 1996 | 8,143 deaths | -3.0% |
| 1997 | 8,034 deaths | -1.3% |
| 1998 | 9,405 deaths | +17.1% |
| 1999 | 6,828 deaths | -27.4% |
| 2000 | 6,448 deaths | -5.6% |
| 2001 | 6,513 deaths | +1.0% |
| 2002 | 6,463 deaths | -0.8% |
| 2003 | 6,240 deaths | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 5,914 deaths | -5.2% |
| 2005 | 5,579 deaths | -5.7% |
| 2006 | 5,528 deaths | -0.9% |
| 2007 | 5,135 deaths | -7.1% |
| 2008 | 5,418 deaths | +5.5% |
| 2009 | 4,883 deaths | -9.9% |
| 2010 | 4,877 deaths | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 4,520 deaths | -7.3% |
| 2012 | 4,221 deaths | -6.6% |
| 2013 | 4,233 deaths | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 4,043 deaths | -4.5% |
| 2015 | 4,146 deaths | +2.6% |
| 2016 | 4,275 deaths | +3.1% |
| 2017 | 4,194 deaths | -1.9% |
| 2018 | 4,333 deaths | +3.3% |
| 2019 | 4,488 deaths | +3.6% |
| 2020 | 4,112 deaths | -8.4% |
Sudan compared with similar countries
- Sudan's 4,112 deaths is above the median for low income countries, which is 2,151 deaths, 1.9× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Sudan's 4,112 deaths is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 1,625 deaths, 2.5× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 10,977 deaths | 8,815 deaths | 14,857 deaths | 5 |
| 1990s | 8,641 deaths | 6,828 deaths | 10,408 deaths | 10 |
| 2000s | 5,812 deaths | 4,883 deaths | 6,513 deaths | 10 |
| 2010s | 4,333 deaths | 4,043 deaths | 4,877 deaths | 10 |
| 2020s | 4,112 deaths | 4,112 deaths | 4,112 deaths | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sudan
- 13 Somalia 4,519 deaths compare
- 14 Cote d'Ivoire 4,401 deaths compare
- 15 Cameroon 4,119 deaths compare
- 17 Mali 3,927 deaths compare
- 18 South Sudan 3,790 deaths compare
- 19 Bangladesh 3,719 deaths compare
More health data for Sudan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.63 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6701 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 841.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 14,804 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 22 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.27 % 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 0.0737 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.15 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of maternal deaths in Sudan?
- Number of maternal deaths in Sudan was 4,112 deaths in 2020, according to UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of maternal deaths recorded in Sudan?
- The highest recorded value was 14,857 deaths in 1988.
- What is the lowest number of maternal deaths recorded in Sudan?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,043 deaths in 2014.
- How does Sudan rank for number of maternal deaths?
- Sudan ranks 16th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
- Is number of maternal deaths rising or falling in Sudan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 15.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Sudan 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.