Maternal mortality in Cameroon
Cameroon: Maternal mortality was 437.75 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
437.75
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
21st
of 189 countries
All-time high
741.01
in 1996
All-time low
423.89
in 2018
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Maternal mortality in Cameroon, 1985–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2020, maternal mortality in Cameroon stood at 437.75.
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 in Cameroon peaked at 741.01 in 1996 and was at its lowest, 423.89, 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 in Cameroon, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 694.33 | — |
| 1986 | 697.28 | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 658.62 | -5.5% |
| 1988 | 662.67 | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 677.92 | +2.3% |
| 1990 | 687.4 | +1.4% |
| 1991 | 676.77 | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 683.4 | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 714.13 | +4.5% |
| 1994 | 739.85 | +3.6% |
| 1995 | 721.76 | -2.4% |
| 1996 | 741.01 | +2.7% |
| 1997 | 735.97 | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 701.93 | -4.6% |
| 1999 | 671.47 | -4.3% |
| 2000 | 650.73 | -3.1% |
| 2001 | 629.25 | -3.3% |
| 2002 | 610.57 | -3.0% |
| 2003 | 574.42 | -5.9% |
| 2004 | 555.62 | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 572.95 | +3.1% |
| 2006 | 558.27 | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 528.86 | -5.3% |
| 2008 | 531.9 | +0.6% |
| 2009 | 533.66 | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 526.75 | -1.3% |
| 2011 | 518.68 | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 487.1 | -6.1% |
| 2013 | 490.71 | +0.7% |
| 2014 | 477.51 | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 446.85 | -6.4% |
| 2016 | 437.25 | -2.1% |
| 2017 | 442.97 | +1.3% |
| 2018 | 423.89 | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 439.77 | +3.7% |
| 2020 | 437.75 | -0.5% |
Cameroon compared with similar countries
- Cameroon's 437.75 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 191.84, 2.3× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Cameroon's 437.75 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 339.15, 1.3× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 678.16 | 658.62 | 697.28 | 5 |
| 1990s | 707.37 | 671.47 | 741.01 | 10 |
| 2000s | 574.62 | 528.86 | 650.73 | 10 |
| 2010s | 469.15 | 423.89 | 526.75 | 10 |
| 2020s | 437.75 | 437.75 | 437.75 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Cameroon
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)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 12,841 (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)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.076 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality in Cameroon?
- Maternal mortality in Cameroon was 437.75 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest maternal mortality recorded in Cameroon?
- The highest recorded value was 741.01 in 1996.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality recorded in Cameroon?
- The lowest recorded value was 423.89 in 2018.
- How does Cameroon rank for maternal mortality?
- Cameroon ranks 21st out of 189 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality 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 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).