Maternal mortality ratio in Congo
Congo: Maternal mortality ratio was 282.39 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
282.39 deaths per 100,000 live births
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
29th
of 185 countries
All-time high
966.68 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 1997
All-time low
282.39 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 2020
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Maternal mortality ratio in Congo, 1985–2020
Source: UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 live births.
Analysis
Congo recorded 282.39 deaths per 100,000 live births for maternal mortality ratio in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.3% on the previous year and down 27.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in Congo peaked at 966.68 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1997 and was at its lowest, 282.39 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2020.
Congo ranks 29th of 185 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Maternal mortality ratio in Congo, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 630.63 deaths per 100,000 live births | — |
| 1986 | 626.84 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 616.12 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.7% |
| 1988 | 656.14 deaths per 100,000 live births | +6.5% |
| 1989 | 693.59 deaths per 100,000 live births | +5.7% |
| 1990 | 740.2 deaths per 100,000 live births | +6.7% |
| 1991 | 779.9 deaths per 100,000 live births | +5.4% |
| 1992 | 826.99 deaths per 100,000 live births | +6.0% |
| 1993 | 786.18 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.9% |
| 1994 | 787.49 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.2% |
| 1995 | 758.18 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.7% |
| 1996 | 731.43 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 966.68 deaths per 100,000 live births | +32.2% |
| 1998 | 825.05 deaths per 100,000 live births | -14.7% |
| 1999 | 729.75 deaths per 100,000 live births | -11.6% |
| 2000 | 659.79 deaths per 100,000 live births | -9.6% |
| 2001 | 641.41 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.8% |
| 2002 | 619.56 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.4% |
| 2003 | 587.13 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.2% |
| 2004 | 541.07 deaths per 100,000 live births | -7.8% |
| 2005 | 487.76 deaths per 100,000 live births | -9.9% |
| 2006 | 479.12 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 439.35 deaths per 100,000 live births | -8.3% |
| 2008 | 414.86 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.6% |
| 2009 | 414.94 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 389.06 deaths per 100,000 live births | -6.2% |
| 2011 | 387.2 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 2012 | 402.49 deaths per 100,000 live births | +3.9% |
| 2013 | 361.83 deaths per 100,000 live births | -10.1% |
| 2014 | 375.31 deaths per 100,000 live births | +3.7% |
| 2015 | 360.44 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 352.6 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.2% |
| 2017 | 365.77 deaths per 100,000 live births | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 370.06 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 292.12 deaths per 100,000 live births | -21.1% |
| 2020 | 282.39 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.3% |
Congo compared with similar countries
- Congo's 282.39 deaths per 100,000 live births is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 191.84 deaths per 100,000 live births, 1.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Congo's 282.39 deaths per 100,000 live births is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 339.15 deaths per 100,000 live births, 83% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 644.66 deaths per 100,000 live births | 616.12 deaths per 100,000 live births | 693.59 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 793.18 deaths per 100,000 live births | 729.75 deaths per 100,000 live births | 966.68 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 528.5 deaths per 100,000 live births | 414.86 deaths per 100,000 live births | 659.79 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 365.69 deaths per 100,000 live births | 292.12 deaths per 100,000 live births | 402.49 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 282.39 deaths per 100,000 live births | 282.39 deaths per 100,000 live births | 282.39 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near Congo
- 26 Haiti 350.4 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 27 Eritrea 321.55 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 28 Uganda 284.14 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 30 Sudan 270.36 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 31 Ethiopia 266.69 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 32 Burkina Faso 263.75 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
More health data for Congo
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.4813 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9705 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 759.5 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 2,688 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 11 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.44 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0695 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.45 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality ratio in Congo?
- Maternal mortality ratio in Congo was 282.39 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 Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 966.68 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1997.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 282.39 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020.
- How does Congo rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- Congo ranks 29th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 27.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Congo 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.