Maternal mortality ratio in Democratic Republic of Congo
Democratic Republic of Congo: Maternal mortality ratio was 547.36 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
547.36 deaths per 100,000 live births
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
11th
of 189 countries
All-time high
1,171 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 1985
All-time low
540.7 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 2019
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Maternal mortality ratio in Democratic Republic of Congo, 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 Democratic Republic of Congo stood at 547.36 deaths per 100,000 live births.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and down 9.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in Democratic Republic of Congo peaked at 1,171 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985 and was at its lowest, 540.7 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2019.
That places Democratic Republic of Congo 11th 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 ratio in Democratic Republic of Congo, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1,171 deaths per 100,000 live births | — |
| 1986 | 1,105 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.7% |
| 1987 | 1,057 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.3% |
| 1988 | 988.67 deaths per 100,000 live births | -6.5% |
| 1989 | 952.43 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.7% |
| 1990 | 912.15 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.2% |
| 1991 | 895.57 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.8% |
| 1992 | 876.67 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.1% |
| 1993 | 836.17 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.6% |
| 1994 | 807.03 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.5% |
| 1995 | 751.78 deaths per 100,000 live births | -6.8% |
| 1996 | 809.45 deaths per 100,000 live births | +7.7% |
| 1997 | 749.7 deaths per 100,000 live births | -7.4% |
| 1998 | 701.34 deaths per 100,000 live births | -6.5% |
| 1999 | 694.4 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 667.74 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.8% |
| 2001 | 660.86 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 662.23 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 654.55 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.2% |
| 2004 | 643.33 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 634.83 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 618.64 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.6% |
| 2007 | 628.51 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 620.59 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.3% |
| 2009 | 603.13 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.8% |
| 2010 | 601.47 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 585.01 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.7% |
| 2012 | 595.28 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.8% |
| 2013 | 584.56 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 573.32 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.9% |
| 2015 | 577.8 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.8% |
| 2016 | 561.88 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.8% |
| 2017 | 570.22 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 543.48 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.7% |
| 2019 | 540.7 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 547.36 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.2% |
Democratic Republic of Congo compared with similar countries
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 547.36 deaths per 100,000 live births is above the median for low income countries, which is 440.23 deaths per 100,000 live births, 1.2× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Democratic Republic of Congo's 547.36 deaths per 100,000 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 339.15 deaths per 100,000 live births, 1.6× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,055 deaths per 100,000 live births | 952.43 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1,171 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 803.42 deaths per 100,000 live births | 694.4 deaths per 100,000 live births | 912.15 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 639.44 deaths per 100,000 live births | 603.13 deaths per 100,000 live births | 667.74 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 573.37 deaths per 100,000 live births | 540.7 deaths per 100,000 live births | 601.47 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 547.36 deaths per 100,000 live births | 547.36 deaths per 100,000 live births | 547.36 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near Democratic Republic of Congo
- 8 Afghanistan 620.41 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 9 Lesotho 566.21 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 10 Guinea 553.4 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 12 Kenya 529.96 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 13 Benin 522.61 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 14 Burundi 494.43 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
More health data for Democratic Republic of Congo
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.56 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 1.03 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 821.4 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 133,650 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 390 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 2.56 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0895 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 2.59 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality ratio in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Maternal mortality ratio in Democratic Republic of Congo was 547.36 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 Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The highest recorded value was 1,171 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- The lowest recorded value was 540.7 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2019.
- How does Democratic Republic of Congo rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- Democratic Republic of Congo ranks 11th out of 189 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in Democratic Republic of Congo?
- Over the last ten years it is down 9.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Democratic Republic of Congo 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.