Maternal mortality ratio in Zambia
Zambia: Maternal mortality ratio was 134.66 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling
Maternal mortality ratio in Zambia, 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 Zambia is 134.66 deaths per 100,000 live births, measured in 2020.
The figure is up 4.5% on the previous year and down 49.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in Zambia peaked at 607.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1991 and was at its lowest, 128.84 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2019.
That places Zambia 56th out of 185 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 571.69 deaths per 100,000 live births | 555.44 deaths per 100,000 live births | 588.89 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 542.2 deaths per 100,000 live births | 468.42 deaths per 100,000 live births | 607.3 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 329.57 deaths per 100,000 live births | 295.85 deaths per 100,000 live births | 418.69 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 183.27 deaths per 100,000 live births | 128.84 deaths per 100,000 live births | 268.49 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 134.66 deaths per 100,000 live births | 134.66 deaths per 100,000 live births | 134.66 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near Zambia
- 53 Bolivia 160.91 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 54 Pakistan 154.16 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 55 Sao Tome and Principe 146.24 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 57 Belize 129.79 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 58 Mozambique 127.11 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 59 South Africa 126.83 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
More health data for Zambia
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 809.3 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 8,894 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 186,618 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 190,016 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 191,969 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 195,406 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 197,654 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 201,065 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality ratio in Zambia?
- Maternal mortality ratio in Zambia was 134.66 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 Zambia?
- The highest recorded value was 607.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1991.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Zambia?
- The lowest recorded value was 128.84 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2019.
- How does Zambia rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- Zambia ranks 56th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in Zambia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 49.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Zambia 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.