Maternal mortality in Ghana
Ghana: Maternal mortality was 263.11 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
263.11
Change on year
up 7.9%
World rank
34th
of 189 countries
All-time high
847.99
in 1985
All-time low
243.84
in 2019
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Maternal mortality in Ghana, 1985–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2020, maternal mortality in Ghana stood at 263.11.
The figure is up 7.9% on the previous year and down 21.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality in Ghana peaked at 847.99 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 243.84, in 2019.
Ghana ranks 34th 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 Ghana, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 847.99 | — |
| 1986 | 815.44 | -3.8% |
| 1987 | 791.39 | -2.9% |
| 1988 | 769.32 | -2.8% |
| 1989 | 717.23 | -6.8% |
| 1990 | 708.89 | -1.2% |
| 1991 | 692.83 | -2.3% |
| 1992 | 653.71 | -5.6% |
| 1993 | 665.45 | +1.8% |
| 1994 | 648.66 | -2.5% |
| 1995 | 623.15 | -3.9% |
| 1996 | 579.24 | -7.0% |
| 1997 | 552.19 | -4.7% |
| 1998 | 534.22 | -3.3% |
| 1999 | 510.05 | -4.5% |
| 2000 | 498.91 | -2.2% |
| 2001 | 469.95 | -5.8% |
| 2002 | 443.01 | -5.7% |
| 2003 | 423.52 | -4.4% |
| 2004 | 420.37 | -0.7% |
| 2005 | 389.75 | -7.3% |
| 2006 | 364.67 | -6.4% |
| 2007 | 353.89 | -3.0% |
| 2008 | 353.71 | -0.1% |
| 2009 | 337.19 | -4.7% |
| 2010 | 336.94 | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 317.46 | -5.8% |
| 2012 | 305.34 | -3.8% |
| 2013 | 305.31 | -0.0% |
| 2014 | 286.3 | -6.2% |
| 2015 | 285.77 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 258.12 | -9.7% |
| 2017 | 273.89 | +6.1% |
| 2018 | 272.81 | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 243.84 | -10.6% |
| 2020 | 263.11 | +7.9% |
Ghana compared with similar countries
- Ghana's 263.11 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 191.84, 1.4× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Ghana's 263.11 is below the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 339.15, 78% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 788.27 | 717.23 | 847.99 | 5 |
| 1990s | 616.84 | 510.05 | 708.89 | 10 |
| 2000s | 405.5 | 337.19 | 498.91 | 10 |
| 2010s | 288.58 | 243.84 | 336.94 | 10 |
| 2020s | 263.11 | 263.11 | 263.11 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ghana
More health data for Ghana
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.37 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.6224 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 8,361 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.5623 % 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 0.06 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.5816 % 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 0.0619 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality in Ghana?
- Maternal mortality in Ghana was 263.11 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest maternal mortality recorded in Ghana?
- The highest recorded value was 847.99 in 1985.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality recorded in Ghana?
- The lowest recorded value was 243.84 in 2019.
- How does Ghana rank for maternal mortality?
- Ghana ranks 34th out of 189 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality rising or falling in Ghana?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ghana 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).