Maternal mortality ratio in Malawi
Malawi: Maternal mortality ratio was 380.67 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling
Maternal mortality ratio in Malawi, 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 Malawi is 380.67 deaths per 100,000 live births, measured in 2020.
The figure is up 2.8% on the previous year and down 25.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in Malawi peaked at 985.91 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1988 and was at its lowest, 326.37 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2006.
Malawi ranks 24th 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.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 939.65 deaths per 100,000 live births | 891.78 deaths per 100,000 live births | 985.91 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 786.98 deaths per 100,000 live births | 588.57 deaths per 100,000 live births | 970.77 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 434.55 deaths per 100,000 live births | 326.37 deaths per 100,000 live births | 573.46 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 443.8 deaths per 100,000 live births | 370.24 deaths per 100,000 live births | 512.93 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 380.67 deaths per 100,000 live births | 380.67 deaths per 100,000 live births | 380.67 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
- 21 Cameroon 437.75 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 22 Togo 399.04 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 23 Madagascar 391.52 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 25 Zimbabwe 356.76 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 26 Haiti 350.4 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 27 Eritrea 321.55 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
More health data for Malawi
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 856.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 6,399 deaths (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 193,780 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 198,476 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 200,046 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 204,753 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 207,829 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 212,512 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality ratio in Malawi?
- Maternal mortality ratio in Malawi was 380.67 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 Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 985.91 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1988.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 326.37 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2006.
- How does Malawi rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- Malawi ranks 24th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi 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.