Maternal mortality in Nigeria
Nigeria: Maternal mortality was 1,047 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
1,047
Change on year
down 6.7%
World rank
3rd
of 189 countries
All-time high
1,316
in 1986
All-time low
1,047
in 2020
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Maternal mortality in Nigeria, 1985–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
The most recent figure for maternal mortality in Nigeria is 1,047, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 6.7% on the previous year and down 6.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality in Nigeria peaked at 1,316 in 1986 and was at its lowest, 1,047, in 2020.
That places Nigeria 3rd 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 in Nigeria, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 1,283 | — |
| 1986 | 1,316 | +2.6% |
| 1987 | 1,287 | -2.2% |
| 1988 | 1,261 | -2.0% |
| 1989 | 1,212 | -3.9% |
| 1990 | 1,209 | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 1,217 | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 1,209 | -0.7% |
| 1993 | 1,190 | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 1,223 | +2.8% |
| 1995 | 1,171 | -4.3% |
| 1996 | 1,174 | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 1,186 | +1.0% |
| 1998 | 1,220 | +2.8% |
| 1999 | 1,177 | -3.5% |
| 2000 | 1,148 | -2.5% |
| 2001 | 1,127 | -1.8% |
| 2002 | 1,112 | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 1,084 | -2.5% |
| 2004 | 1,088 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | 1,073 | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 1,071 | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 1,081 | +0.9% |
| 2008 | 1,099 | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 1,101 | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 1,123 | +2.0% |
| 2011 | 1,070 | -4.7% |
| 2012 | 1,087 | +1.7% |
| 2013 | 1,109 | +2.0% |
| 2014 | 1,135 | +2.4% |
| 2015 | 1,113 | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 1,129 | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 1,127 | -0.2% |
| 2018 | 1,135 | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 1,122 | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 1,047 | -6.7% |
Nigeria compared with similar countries
- Nigeria's 1,047 is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 191.84, 5.5× the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Nigeria's 1,047 is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 339.15, 3.1× the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1,272 | 1,212 | 1,316 | 5 |
| 1990s | 1,198 | 1,171 | 1,223 | 10 |
| 2000s | 1,098 | 1,071 | 1,148 | 10 |
| 2010s | 1,115 | 1,070 | 1,135 | 10 |
| 2020s | 1,047 | 1,047 | 1,047 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Nigeria
- 1 South Sudan 1,223 compare
- 2 Chad 1,063 compare
- 4 Central African Republic 835.27 compare
- 5 Guinea-Bissau 725.09 compare
- 6 Liberia 652.34 compare
More health data for Nigeria
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8137 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 257,921 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 14 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 1.14 % 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 0.0711 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 1.17 % 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 0.0729 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality in Nigeria?
- Maternal mortality in Nigeria was 1,047 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest maternal mortality recorded in Nigeria?
- The highest recorded value was 1,316 in 1986.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality recorded in Nigeria?
- The lowest recorded value was 1,047 in 2020.
- How does Nigeria rank for maternal mortality?
- Nigeria ranks 3rd out of 189 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality rising or falling in Nigeria?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Nigeria 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).