Maternal mortality ratio in Liberia
Liberia: Maternal mortality ratio was 652.34 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
652.34 deaths per 100,000 live births
Change on year
down 2.3%
World rank
6th
of 189 countries
All-time high
1,723 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 1994
All-time low
627.55 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 2016
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Maternal mortality ratio in Liberia, 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
The most recent figure for maternal mortality ratio in Liberia is 652.34 deaths per 100,000 live births, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.3% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in Liberia peaked at 1,723 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1994 and was at its lowest, 627.55 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2016.
Liberia ranks 6th of 189 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Maternal mortality ratio in Liberia, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1,365 deaths per 100,000 live births | — |
| 1986 | 1,341 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.8% |
| 1987 | 1,351 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.7% |
| 1988 | 1,396 deaths per 100,000 live births | +3.3% |
| 1989 | 1,439 deaths per 100,000 live births | +3.1% |
| 1990 | 1,553 deaths per 100,000 live births | +7.9% |
| 1991 | 1,436 deaths per 100,000 live births | -7.5% |
| 1992 | 1,525 deaths per 100,000 live births | +6.2% |
| 1993 | 1,619 deaths per 100,000 live births | +6.1% |
| 1994 | 1,723 deaths per 100,000 live births | +6.5% |
| 1995 | 1,524 deaths per 100,000 live births | -11.6% |
| 1996 | 1,392 deaths per 100,000 live births | -8.7% |
| 1997 | 1,074 deaths per 100,000 live births | -22.8% |
| 1998 | 962.51 deaths per 100,000 live births | -10.4% |
| 1999 | 859.25 deaths per 100,000 live births | -10.7% |
| 2000 | 777.43 deaths per 100,000 live births | -9.5% |
| 2001 | 746.83 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.9% |
| 2002 | 758.35 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 805.13 deaths per 100,000 live births | +6.2% |
| 2004 | 699.79 deaths per 100,000 live births | -13.1% |
| 2005 | 676.47 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 2006 | 664.5 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 662.8 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.3% |
| 2008 | 632.34 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.6% |
| 2009 | 638.02 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.9% |
| 2010 | 634.18 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.6% |
| 2011 | 643.57 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 643.54 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 631.62 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 775.91 deaths per 100,000 live births | +22.8% |
| 2015 | 685.59 deaths per 100,000 live births | -11.6% |
| 2016 | 627.55 deaths per 100,000 live births | -8.5% |
| 2017 | 661.13 deaths per 100,000 live births | +5.4% |
| 2018 | 683.76 deaths per 100,000 live births | +3.4% |
| 2019 | 667.96 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 652.34 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.3% |
Liberia compared with similar countries
- Liberia's 652.34 deaths per 100,000 live births is above the median for low income countries, which is 440.23 deaths per 100,000 live births, 1.5× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Liberia's 652.34 deaths per 100,000 live births is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 339.15 deaths per 100,000 live births, 1.9× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,379 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1,341 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1,439 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 1,367 deaths per 100,000 live births | 859.25 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1,723 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 706.17 deaths per 100,000 live births | 632.34 deaths per 100,000 live births | 805.13 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 665.48 deaths per 100,000 live births | 627.55 deaths per 100,000 live births | 775.91 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 652.34 deaths per 100,000 live births | 652.34 deaths per 100,000 live births | 652.34 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near Liberia
- 3 Nigeria 1,047 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 4 Central African Republic 835.27 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 5 Guinea-Bissau 725.09 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 7 Somalia 620.68 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 8 Afghanistan 620.41 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 9 Lesotho 566.21 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
More health data for Liberia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.57 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7528 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,097 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 3,457 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 7 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.13 % 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 0.068 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.13 % 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 Liberia?
- Maternal mortality ratio in Liberia was 652.34 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 Liberia?
- The highest recorded value was 1,723 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1994.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Liberia?
- The lowest recorded value was 627.55 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2016.
- How does Liberia rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- Liberia ranks 6th out of 189 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in Liberia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Liberia 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.