Maternal mortality ratio in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Maternal mortality ratio was 620.41 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling
Maternal mortality ratio in Afghanistan, 1985–2020
Source: UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 live births.
Analysis
The most recent figure for maternal mortality ratio in Afghanistan is 620.41 deaths per 100,000 live births, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
The figure is down 3.7% on the previous year and down 31.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in Afghanistan peaked at 1,910 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985 and was at its lowest, 620.41 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2020.
That places Afghanistan 8th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,579 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1,383 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1,910 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 1,393 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1,359 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1,459 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,125 deaths per 100,000 live births | 913.04 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1,346 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 773.69 deaths per 100,000 live births | 644.27 deaths per 100,000 live births | 898.67 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 620.41 deaths per 100,000 live births | 620.41 deaths per 100,000 live births | 620.41 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
- 5 Guinea-Bissau 725.09 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 6 Liberia 652.34 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 7 Somalia 620.68 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 9 Lesotho 566.21 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 10 Guinea 553.4 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 11 Democratic Republic of Congo 547.36 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
More health data for Afghanistan
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 812.4 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 14,735 deaths (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 454 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 454 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 407,307 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 393,205 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 421,296 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 405,329 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 434,707 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 416,770 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality ratio in Afghanistan?
- Maternal mortality ratio in Afghanistan was 620.41 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, according to UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 1,910 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 620.41 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020.
- How does Afghanistan rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- Afghanistan ranks 8th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in Afghanistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Afghanistan data come from?
- The figures come from UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Maternal mortality ratio. 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 maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.