Maternal mortality in Afghanistan
Afghanistan: Maternal mortality was 620.41 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
620.41
Change on year
down 3.7%
World rank
8th
of 189 countries
All-time high
1,910
in 1985
All-time low
620.41
in 2020
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Maternal mortality in Afghanistan, 1985–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for maternal mortality in Afghanistan is 620.41, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 3.7% on the previous year and down 31.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality in Afghanistan peaked at 1,910 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 620.41, in 2020.
That places Afghanistan 8th out of 189 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.
Maternal mortality in Afghanistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1,910 | — |
| 1986 | 1,603 | -16.1% |
| 1987 | 1,587 | -1.0% |
| 1988 | 1,414 | -10.9% |
| 1989 | 1,383 | -2.2% |
| 1990 | 1,378 | -0.4% |
| 1991 | 1,393 | +1.1% |
| 1992 | 1,452 | +4.2% |
| 1993 | 1,369 | -5.7% |
| 1994 | 1,375 | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 1,401 | +1.9% |
| 1996 | 1,376 | -1.8% |
| 1997 | 1,365 | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 1,459 | +6.9% |
| 1999 | 1,359 | -6.9% |
| 2000 | 1,346 | -1.0% |
| 2001 | 1,273 | -5.4% |
| 2002 | 1,277 | +0.3% |
| 2003 | 1,196 | -6.4% |
| 2004 | 1,115 | -6.8% |
| 2005 | 1,103 | -1.1% |
| 2006 | 1,044 | -5.3% |
| 2007 | 1,024 | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 962.32 | -6.0% |
| 2009 | 913.04 | -5.1% |
| 2010 | 898.67 | -1.6% |
| 2011 | 883.71 | -1.7% |
| 2012 | 833.48 | -5.7% |
| 2013 | 820.68 | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 785.35 | -4.3% |
| 2015 | 775.69 | -1.2% |
| 2016 | 749.82 | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 681.81 | -9.1% |
| 2018 | 663.43 | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 644.27 | -2.9% |
| 2020 | 620.41 | -3.7% |
Afghanistan compared with similar countries
- Afghanistan's 620.41 is above the median for low income countries, which is 440.23, 1.4× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Afghanistan's 620.41 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 22.02, 28.2× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,579 | 1,383 | 1,910 | 5 |
| 1990s | 1,393 | 1,359 | 1,459 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,125 | 913.04 | 1,346 | 10 |
| 2010s | 773.69 | 644.27 | 898.67 | 10 |
| 2020s | 620.41 | 620.41 | 620.41 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Afghanistan
More health data for Afghanistan
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.45 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 14,735 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 19 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.78 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.077 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.75 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0002 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0804 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality in Afghanistan?
- Maternal mortality in Afghanistan was 620.41 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest maternal mortality recorded in Afghanistan?
- The highest recorded value was 1,910 in 1985.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality recorded in Afghanistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 620.41 in 2020.
- How does Afghanistan rank for maternal mortality?
- Afghanistan ranks 8th out of 189 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality 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 Our World in Data, published as part of Maternal mortality. 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).