Maternal mortality ratio in AFR
AFR: Maternal mortality ratio was 442.12 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
442.12
Change on year
down 1.4%
Rank
1st
of 13 groups
All-time high
1,084
in 1985
All-time low
442.12
in 2023
Years of data
39
1985–2023
Maternal mortality ratio in AFR, 1985–2023
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for maternal mortality ratio in AFR is 442.12, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.4% on the previous year and down 26.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in AFR peaked at 1,084 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 442.12, in 2023.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.
Maternal mortality ratio in AFR, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1,084 | — |
| 1986 | 1,051 | -3.1% |
| 1987 | 1,077 | +2.5% |
| 1988 | 1,019 | -5.4% |
| 1989 | 990.11 | -2.9% |
| 1990 | 975.53 | -1.5% |
| 1991 | 947.21 | -2.9% |
| 1992 | 959.09 | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 937.96 | -2.2% |
| 1994 | 902.43 | -3.8% |
| 1995 | 850.19 | -5.8% |
| 1996 | 836.54 | -1.6% |
| 1997 | 815.68 | -2.5% |
| 1998 | 840.17 | +3.0% |
| 1999 | 755.64 | -10.1% |
| 2000 | 727.48 | -3.7% |
| 2001 | 710.13 | -2.4% |
| 2002 | 692.98 | -2.4% |
| 2003 | 667.77 | -3.6% |
| 2004 | 650.03 | -2.7% |
| 2005 | 641.89 | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 639.7 | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 639.05 | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 642.13 | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 640.08 | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 630.59 | -1.5% |
| 2011 | 620.3 | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 609.01 | -1.8% |
| 2013 | 601.22 | -1.3% |
| 2014 | 594.8 | -1.1% |
| 2015 | 585.78 | -1.5% |
| 2016 | 566.54 | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 547.07 | -3.4% |
| 2018 | 518.2 | -5.3% |
| 2019 | 501.23 | -3.3% |
| 2020 | 478.92 | -4.5% |
| 2021 | 492.12 | +2.8% |
| 2022 | 448.42 | -8.9% |
| 2023 | 442.12 | -1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,044 | 990.11 | 1,084 | 5 |
| 1990s | 882.05 | 755.64 | 975.53 | 10 |
| 2000s | 665.12 | 639.05 | 727.48 | 10 |
| 2010s | 577.48 | 501.23 | 630.59 | 10 |
| 2020s | 465.39 | 442.12 | 492.12 | 4 |
Countries ranked near AFR
- 1 Nigeria 992.83 compare
- 2 Chad 747.54 compare
- 3 South Sudan 691.82 compare
- 4 Central African Republic 691.74 compare
More health data for AFR
- Pertussis - number of reported cases 12,202 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases 20,578 (2025)
- Infant mortality rate (probability of dying between birth and age 1) 46.32 (2024)
- Under-five mortality rate 69.9 (2024)
- Mortality rate among children ages 5 to 9 years 8.27 (2024)
- Number of deaths among children ages 5 to 9 years 281,554 (2024)
- Number of deaths among adolescents 181,479 (2024)
- Proportion of population with primary reliance on polluting fuels and 91.9% (2023)
- Population with primary reliance on clean fuels and technologies for 55.86 (2023)
- Population with primary reliance on polluting fuels and technologies 632.45 (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality ratio in AFR?
- Maternal mortality ratio in AFR was 442.12 in 2023, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest maternal mortality ratio recorded in AFR?
- The highest recorded value was 1,084 in 1985.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in AFR?
- The lowest recorded value was 442.12 in 2023.
- How does AFR rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- AFR ranks 1st out of 13 groups with data for 2023.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in AFR?
- Over the last ten years it is down 26.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this AFR data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Maternal mortality ratio (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-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).