Number of maternal deaths in Africa Eastern and Southern

Africa Eastern and Southern: Number of maternal deaths was 66,000 in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
66,000
Change on year
unchanged
Rank
18th
of 47 groups
All-time high
137,000
in 1987
All-time low
66,000
in 2022
Years of data
39
1985–2023

Number of maternal deaths in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1985–2023

050.0k100.0k150.0k1985200420231985: 130.0k1986: 127.0k1987: 137.0k1988: 130.0k1989: 129.0k1990: 128.0k1991: 126.0k1992: 134.0k1993: 133.0k1994: 126.0k1995: 119.0k1996: 118.0k1997: 116.0k1998: 124.0k1999: 106.0k2000: 102.0k2001: 100.0k2002: 98.0k2003: 95.0k2004: 93.0k2005: 94.0k2006: 95.0k2007: 97.0k2008: 98.0k2009: 97.0k2010: 96.0k2011: 93.0k2012: 89.0k2013: 88.0k2014: 87.0k2015: 85.0k2016: 82.0k2017: 79.0k2018: 74.0k2019: 72.0k2020: 68.0k2021: 75.0k2022: 66.0k2023: 66.0k

Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).

Analysis

In 2023, number of maternal deaths in Africa Eastern and Southern stood at 66,000. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 25.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of maternal deaths in Africa Eastern and Southern peaked at 137,000 in 1987 and was at its lowest, 66,000, in 2022.

That places Africa Eastern and Southern 18th out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.

Number of maternal deaths in Africa Eastern and Southern, year by year

Annual values for Number of maternal deaths in Africa Eastern and Southern, 1985 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1985 130,000
1986 127,000 -2.3%
1987 137,000 +7.9%
1988 130,000 -5.1%
1989 129,000 -0.8%
1990 128,000 -0.8%
1991 126,000 -1.6%
1992 134,000 +6.3%
1993 133,000 -0.7%
1994 126,000 -5.3%
1995 119,000 -5.6%
1996 118,000 -0.8%
1997 116,000 -1.7%
1998 124,000 +6.9%
1999 106,000 -14.5%
2000 102,000 -3.8%
2001 100,000 -2.0%
2002 98,000 -2.0%
2003 95,000 -3.1%
2004 93,000 -2.1%
2005 94,000 +1.1%
2006 95,000 +1.1%
2007 97,000 +2.1%
2008 98,000 +1.0%
2009 97,000 -1.0%
2010 96,000 -1.0%
2011 93,000 -3.1%
2012 89,000 -4.3%
2013 88,000 -1.1%
2014 87,000 -1.1%
2015 85,000 -2.3%
2016 82,000 -3.5%
2017 79,000 -3.7%
2018 74,000 -6.3%
2019 72,000 -2.7%
2020 68,000 -5.6%
2021 75,000 +10.3%
2022 66,000 -12.0%
2023 66,000 +0.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 130,600 127,000 137,000 5
1990s 123,000 106,000 134,000 10
2000s 96,900 93,000 102,000 10
2010s 84,500 72,000 96,000 10
2020s 68,750 66,000 75,000 4

Countries ranked near Africa Eastern and Southern

  1. 15 Côte d'Ivoire 3,600 compare
  2. 16 Mali 3,500 compare
  3. 17 Uganda 2,900 compare
  4. 18 Angola 2,500 compare
  5. 18 Benin 2,500 compare
  6. 18 Cameroon 2,500 compare
  7. 21 Guinea 2,400 compare

See the full ranking of 241 places →

More health data for Africa Eastern and Southern

All data for Africa Eastern and Southern →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of maternal deaths in Africa Eastern and Southern?
Number of maternal deaths in Africa Eastern and Southern was 66,000 in 2023, according to Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
What is the highest number of maternal deaths recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
The highest recorded value was 137,000 in 1987.
What is the lowest number of maternal deaths recorded in Africa Eastern and Southern?
The lowest recorded value was 66,000 in 2022.
How does Africa Eastern and Southern rank for number of maternal deaths?
Africa Eastern and Southern ranks 18th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
Is number of maternal deaths rising or falling in Africa Eastern and Southern?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Africa Eastern and Southern data come from?
The figures come from Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Number of maternal deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Number of maternal deaths in Africa Eastern and Southern. Statizoid, drawing on Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 05 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-maternal-deaths/africa-eastern-and-southern/

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About this data

Indicator
Number of maternal deaths
Source
Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
241 places, 9,399 data points, 1985–2023
Last refreshed

A maternal death refers to the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.