Maternal mortality ratio in Cameroon
Cameroon: Maternal mortality ratio was 437.75 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
437.75 deaths per 100,000 live births
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
21st
of 189 countries
All-time high
741.01 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 1996
All-time low
423.89 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 2018
Years of data
36
1985–2020
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.
Maternal mortality ratio in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 694.33 deaths per 100,000 live births | — |
| 1986 | 697.28 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 658.62 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.5% |
| 1988 | 662.67 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 677.92 deaths per 100,000 live births | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 687.4 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 676.77 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 683.4 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 714.13 deaths per 100,000 live births | +4.5% |
| 1994 | 739.85 deaths per 100,000 live births | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 721.76 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.4% |
| 1996 | 741.01 deaths per 100,000 live births | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 735.97 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 701.93 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.6% |
| 1999 | 671.47 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.3% |
| 2000 | 650.73 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.1% |
| 2001 | 629.25 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 610.57 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 574.42 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.9% |
| 2004 | 555.62 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 572.95 deaths per 100,000 live births | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 558.27 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 528.86 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 531.9 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 533.66 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 526.75 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 518.68 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 487.1 deaths per 100,000 live births | -6.1% |
| 2013 | 490.71 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 477.51 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 446.85 deaths per 100,000 live births | -6.4% |
| 2016 | 437.25 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 442.97 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 423.89 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 439.77 deaths per 100,000 live births | +3.7% |
| 2020 | 437.75 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.5% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 437.75 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, 2.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 437.75 deaths per 100,000 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 339.15 deaths per 100,000 live births, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
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
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.28 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7821 % change on previous year (2090)
- 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)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 17 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.22 % 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 0.0746 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.21 % 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 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
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.