Maternal mortality in Malawi
Malawi: Maternal mortality was 380.67 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
380.67
Change on year
up 2.8%
World rank
24th
of 189 countries
All-time high
985.91
in 1988
All-time low
326.37
in 2006
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Maternal mortality in Malawi, 1985–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for maternal mortality in Malawi is 380.67, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of up 2.8% on the previous year and down 25.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality in Malawi peaked at 985.91 in 1988 and was at its lowest, 326.37, in 2006.
Malawi ranks 24th 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 Malawi, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 891.78 | — |
| 1986 | 917.62 | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 949.55 | +3.5% |
| 1988 | 985.91 | +3.8% |
| 1989 | 953.41 | -3.3% |
| 1990 | 970.77 | +1.8% |
| 1991 | 960.12 | -1.1% |
| 1992 | 944.62 | -1.6% |
| 1993 | 897.78 | -5.0% |
| 1994 | 827.2 | -7.9% |
| 1995 | 721.46 | -12.8% |
| 1996 | 681.52 | -5.5% |
| 1997 | 650.07 | -4.6% |
| 1998 | 627.63 | -3.5% |
| 1999 | 588.57 | -6.2% |
| 2000 | 573.46 | -2.6% |
| 2001 | 530.91 | -7.4% |
| 2002 | 489.92 | -7.7% |
| 2003 | 445.14 | -9.1% |
| 2004 | 386.04 | -13.3% |
| 2005 | 346.93 | -10.1% |
| 2006 | 326.37 | -5.9% |
| 2007 | 351.57 | +7.7% |
| 2008 | 419.65 | +19.4% |
| 2009 | 475.55 | +13.3% |
| 2010 | 512.93 | +7.9% |
| 2011 | 495.72 | -3.4% |
| 2012 | 502.27 | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 472.6 | -5.9% |
| 2014 | 442.25 | -6.4% |
| 2015 | 444.94 | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 430.34 | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 374.88 | -12.9% |
| 2018 | 391.79 | +4.5% |
| 2019 | 370.24 | -5.5% |
| 2020 | 380.67 | +2.8% |
Malawi compared with similar countries
- Malawi's 380.67 is below the median for low income countries, which is 440.23, 86% of the median. (25 countries reporting)
- Malawi's 380.67 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 339.15, 1.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 939.65 | 891.78 | 985.91 | 5 |
| 1990s | 786.98 | 588.57 | 970.77 | 10 |
| 2000s | 434.55 | 326.37 | 573.46 | 10 |
| 2010s | 443.8 | 370.24 | 512.93 | 10 |
| 2020s | 380.67 | 380.67 | 380.67 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Malawi
More health data for Malawi
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8368 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.9312 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 6,399 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 2 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.61 % 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 0.0714 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.63 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0718 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality in Malawi?
- Maternal mortality in Malawi was 380.67 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest maternal mortality recorded in Malawi?
- The highest recorded value was 985.91 in 1988.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality recorded in Malawi?
- The lowest recorded value was 326.37 in 2006.
- How does Malawi rank for maternal mortality?
- Malawi ranks 24th out of 189 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality rising or falling in Malawi?
- Over the last ten years it is down 25.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Malawi 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).