Number of maternal deaths in Africa (WHO region)
Africa (WHO region): Number of maternal deaths was 177,774 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
177,774
Change on year
down 0.1%
Rank
2nd
of 7 groups
All-time high
229,638
in 1987
All-time low
177,774
in 2023
Years of data
39
1985–2023
Number of maternal deaths in Africa (WHO region), 1985–2023
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
Africa (WHO region) recorded 177,774 for number of maternal deaths in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.1% on the previous year and down 17.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of maternal deaths in Africa (WHO region) peaked at 229,638 in 1987 and was at its lowest, 177,774, in 2023.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.
Number of maternal deaths in Africa (WHO region), year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 222,085 | — |
| 1986 | 219,462 | -1.2% |
| 1987 | 229,638 | +4.6% |
| 1988 | 221,660 | -3.5% |
| 1989 | 219,709 | -0.9% |
| 1990 | 220,485 | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 218,469 | -0.9% |
| 1992 | 225,877 | +3.4% |
| 1993 | 225,501 | -0.2% |
| 1994 | 220,124 | -2.4% |
| 1995 | 212,579 | -3.4% |
| 1996 | 213,022 | +0.2% |
| 1997 | 211,096 | -0.9% |
| 1998 | 221,295 | +4.8% |
| 1999 | 203,952 | -7.8% |
| 2000 | 200,789 | -1.6% |
| 2001 | 200,178 | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 199,215 | -0.5% |
| 2003 | 196,252 | -1.5% |
| 2004 | 195,639 | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 198,097 | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 201,903 | +1.9% |
| 2007 | 205,842 | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 211,744 | +2.9% |
| 2009 | 214,873 | +1.5% |
| 2010 | 215,589 | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 215,733 | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 215,113 | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 215,122 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 216,011 | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 214,860 | -0.5% |
| 2016 | 209,784 | -2.4% |
| 2017 | 204,801 | -2.4% |
| 2018 | 195,957 | -4.3% |
| 2019 | 191,510 | -2.3% |
| 2020 | 184,792 | -3.5% |
| 2021 | 192,685 | +4.3% |
| 2022 | 177,881 | -7.7% |
| 2023 | 177,774 | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 222,511 | 219,462 | 229,638 | 5 |
| 1990s | 217,240 | 203,952 | 225,877 | 10 |
| 2000s | 202,453 | 195,639 | 214,873 | 10 |
| 2010s | 209,448 | 191,510 | 216,011 | 10 |
| 2020s | 183,283 | 177,774 | 192,685 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Africa (WHO region)
More health data for Africa (WHO region)
- Measles - number of reported cases, gaps filled 179,400 (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases, gaps filled 20,261 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 20,578 (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, gaps filled 12,202 (2025)
- Measles - number of reported cases, annual growth rate -8.02 % change on previous year (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases, annual growth rate 160.28 % change on previous year (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases, annual growth rate 23.13 % change on previous year (2025)
- Diphtheria - number of reported cases 20,261 (2025)
- Pertussis - number of reported cases 12,202 (2025)
- Total tetanus - number of reported cases 20,578 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of maternal deaths in Africa (WHO region)?
- Number of maternal deaths in Africa (WHO region) was 177,774 in 2023, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest number of maternal deaths recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The highest recorded value was 229,638 in 1987.
- What is the lowest number of maternal deaths recorded in Africa (WHO region)?
- The lowest recorded value was 177,774 in 2023.
- How does Africa (WHO region) rank for number of maternal deaths?
- Africa (WHO region) ranks 2nd out of 7 groups with data for 2023.
- Is number of maternal deaths rising or falling in Africa (WHO region)?
- Over the last ten years it is down 17.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Africa (WHO region) data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Number of maternal deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).