Maternal mortality ratio in Africa Eastern and Southern
Africa Eastern and Southern: Maternal mortality ratio was 268 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Maternal mortality ratio in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1985–2023
Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
Analysis
Africa Eastern and Southern recorded 268 for maternal mortality ratio in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and down 36.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 1,060 in 1987 and was at its lowest, 268, in 2023.
That places Africa Eastern and Southern 12th out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.
Maternal mortality ratio in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1,050 | — |
| 1986 | 1,000 | -4.8% |
| 1987 | 1,060 | +6.0% |
| 1988 | 984 | -7.2% |
| 1989 | 954 | -3.0% |
| 1990 | 933 | -2.2% |
| 1991 | 903 | -3.2% |
| 1992 | 938 | +3.9% |
| 1993 | 913 | -2.7% |
| 1994 | 858 | -6.0% |
| 1995 | 782 | -8.9% |
| 1996 | 762 | -2.6% |
| 1997 | 733 | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 773 | +5.5% |
| 1999 | 646 | -16.4% |
| 2000 | 612 | -5.3% |
| 2001 | 586 | -4.2% |
| 2002 | 564 | -3.8% |
| 2003 | 537 | -4.8% |
| 2004 | 516 | -3.9% |
| 2005 | 510 | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 505 | -1.0% |
| 2007 | 505 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 503 | -0.4% |
| 2009 | 491 | -2.4% |
| 2010 | 476 | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 457 | -4.0% |
| 2012 | 433 | -5.3% |
| 2013 | 419 | -3.2% |
| 2014 | 409 | -2.4% |
| 2015 | 394 | -3.7% |
| 2016 | 376 | -4.6% |
| 2017 | 354 | -5.9% |
| 2018 | 327 | -7.6% |
| 2019 | 308 | -5.8% |
| 2020 | 290 | -5.8% |
| 2021 | 312 | +7.6% |
| 2022 | 269 | -13.8% |
| 2023 | 268 | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,010 | 954 | 1,060 | 5 |
| 1990s | 824.1 | 646 | 938 | 10 |
| 2000s | 532.9 | 491 | 612 | 10 |
| 2010s | 395.3 | 308 | 476 | 10 |
| 2020s | 284.75 | 268 | 312 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern
- 9 Guinea-Bissau 505 compare
- 10 Guinea 494 compare
- 11 Lesotho 478 compare
- 12 Madagascar 445 compare
- 13 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 427 compare
- 14 Burundi 392 compare
- 15 Mauritania 381 compare
More health data for Africa Eastern and Southern
- Population ages 50-54, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, male, per capita 0.054 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, female, annual growth rate 3.33 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per capita 0.0144 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, annual growth rate 2.72 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, male, annual growth rate 3.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 50-54, female, per capita 0.0158 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, male, annual growth rate 4.21 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality ratio in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Maternal mortality ratio in Africa Eastern and Southern was 268 in 2023, according to Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The highest recorded value was 1,060 in 1987.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- The lowest recorded value was 268 in 2023.
- How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 12th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
- Over the last ten years it is down 36.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
- The figures come from Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on the proportion of maternal deaths among non-AIDS deaths in women ages 15-49, fertility, birth attendants, and GDP measured using purchasing power parities (PPPs).