Maternal mortality ratio in Cameroon
Cameroon: Maternal mortality ratio was 437.75 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling
Maternal mortality ratio in Cameroon, 1985–2020
Source: UN MMEIG (2023) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 live births.
Analysis
In 2020, maternal mortality ratio in Cameroon stood at 437.75 deaths per 100,000 live births.
That represents a change of down 0.5% on the previous year and down 16.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in Cameroon peaked at 741.01 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1996 and was at its lowest, 423.89 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2018.
Cameroon ranks 21st of 189 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 | 678.16 deaths per 100,000 live births | 658.62 deaths per 100,000 live births | 697.28 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 707.37 deaths per 100,000 live births | 671.47 deaths per 100,000 live births | 741.01 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 574.62 deaths per 100,000 live births | 528.86 deaths per 100,000 live births | 650.73 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 469.15 deaths per 100,000 live births | 423.89 deaths per 100,000 live births | 526.75 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 437.75 deaths per 100,000 live births | 437.75 deaths per 100,000 live births | 437.75 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
- 18 Sierra Leone 442.83 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 19 Niger 441.07 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 20 Mali 440.23 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
- 24 Malawi 380.67 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
More health data for Cameroon
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 786.1 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 12,841 deaths (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 4 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 4 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 244,584 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 245,558 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 251,698 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 252,310 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 260,306 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 260,630 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality ratio in Cameroon?
- Maternal mortality ratio in Cameroon was 437.75 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, according to UN MMEIG (2023) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 741.01 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1996.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 423.89 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2018.
- How does Cameroon rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- Cameroon ranks 21st out of 189 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in Cameroon?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Cameroon data come from?
- The figures come from UN MMEIG (2023) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Maternal mortality ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The estimated number of women who die from maternal conditions per 100,000 live births, based on data from death certificates, large-scale surveys, and statistical modeling.