Number of maternal deaths in Ethiopia

Ethiopia: Number of maternal deaths was 8,000 in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
8,000
Change on year
down 4.8%
World rank
5th
of 194 countries
All-time high
32,000
in 1990
All-time low
8,000
in 2023
Years of data
39
1985–2023

Number of maternal deaths in Ethiopia, 1985–2023

10.0k15.0k20.0k25.0k30.0k1985200420231985: 27.0k1986: 28.0k1987: 28.0k1988: 29.0k1989: 30.0k1990: 32.0k1991: 31.0k1992: 32.0k1993: 31.0k1994: 31.0k1995: 30.0k1996: 29.0k1997: 28.0k1998: 27.0k1999: 27.0k2000: 27.0k2001: 27.0k2002: 26.0k2003: 26.0k2004: 25.0k2005: 25.0k2006: 24.0k2007: 23.0k2008: 23.0k2009: 21.0k2010: 20.0k2011: 20.0k2012: 18.0k2013: 16.0k2014: 15.0k2015: 14.0k2016: 13.0k2017: 12.0k2018: 11.0k2019: 10.0k2020: 9.7k2021: 10.0k2022: 8.4k2023: 8.0k

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

Analysis

The most recent figure for number of maternal deaths in Ethiopia is 8,000, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.8% on the previous year and down 50.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of maternal deaths in Ethiopia peaked at 32,000 in 1990 and was at its lowest, 8,000, in 2023.

That places Ethiopia 5th out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.

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

Number of maternal deaths in Ethiopia, year by year

Annual values for Number of maternal deaths in Ethiopia, 1985 to 2023.
Year Value Change
1985 27,000
1986 28,000 +3.7%
1987 28,000 +0.0%
1988 29,000 +3.6%
1989 30,000 +3.4%
1990 32,000 +6.7%
1991 31,000 -3.1%
1992 32,000 +3.2%
1993 31,000 -3.1%
1994 31,000 +0.0%
1995 30,000 -3.2%
1996 29,000 -3.3%
1997 28,000 -3.4%
1998 27,000 -3.6%
1999 27,000 +0.0%
2000 27,000 +0.0%
2001 27,000 +0.0%
2002 26,000 -3.7%
2003 26,000 +0.0%
2004 25,000 -3.8%
2005 25,000 +0.0%
2006 24,000 -4.0%
2007 23,000 -4.2%
2008 23,000 +0.0%
2009 21,000 -8.7%
2010 20,000 -4.8%
2011 20,000 +0.0%
2012 18,000 -10.0%
2013 16,000 -11.1%
2014 15,000 -6.2%
2015 14,000 -6.7%
2016 13,000 -7.1%
2017 12,000 -7.7%
2018 11,000 -8.3%
2019 10,000 -9.1%
2020 9,700 -3.0%
2021 10,000 +3.1%
2022 8,400 -16.0%
2023 8,000 -4.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 28,400 27,000 30,000 5
1990s 29,800 27,000 32,000 10
2000s 24,700 21,000 27,000 10
2010s 14,900 10,000 20,000 10
2020s 9,025 8,000 10,000 4

Countries ranked near Ethiopia

  1. 2 Congo, Democratic Republic of the 19,000 compare
  2. 2 India 19,000 compare
  3. 4 Pakistan 11,000 compare
  4. 6 Afghanistan 7,600 compare
  5. 7 Tanzania, United Republic of 6,500 compare
  6. 8 Indonesia 6,300 compare

See the full ranking of 241 places →

More health data for Ethiopia

All data for Ethiopia →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of maternal deaths in Ethiopia?
Number of maternal deaths in Ethiopia was 8,000 in 2023, according to Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
What is the highest number of maternal deaths recorded in Ethiopia?
The highest recorded value was 32,000 in 1990.
What is the lowest number of maternal deaths recorded in Ethiopia?
The lowest recorded value was 8,000 in 2023.
How does Ethiopia rank for number of maternal deaths?
Ethiopia ranks 5th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
Is number of maternal deaths rising or falling in Ethiopia?
Over the last ten years it is down 50.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ethiopia 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 Ethiopia. Statizoid, drawing on Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO). Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/number-of-maternal-deaths/ethiopia/

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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.