Number of maternal deaths in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan: Number of maternal deaths was 4,700 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Number of maternal deaths in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, 1985–2023
Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of maternal deaths in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan is 4,700, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
The figure is down 4.1% on the previous year and down 21.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of maternal deaths in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan peaked at 20,000 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 4,700, in 2023.
Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 33rd of 47 groups on this measure, 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 Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 20,000 | — |
| 1986 | 19,000 | -5.0% |
| 1987 | 17,000 | -10.5% |
| 1988 | 17,000 | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 16,000 | -5.9% |
| 1990 | 15,000 | -6.2% |
| 1991 | 14,000 | -6.7% |
| 1992 | 13,000 | -7.1% |
| 1993 | 12,000 | -7.7% |
| 1994 | 11,000 | -8.3% |
| 1995 | 11,000 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 10,000 | -9.1% |
| 1997 | 9,500 | -5.0% |
| 1998 | 9,000 | -5.3% |
| 1999 | 8,600 | -4.4% |
| 2000 | 8,200 | -4.7% |
| 2001 | 7,800 | -4.9% |
| 2002 | 7,300 | -6.4% |
| 2003 | 7,200 | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 6,900 | -4.2% |
| 2005 | 6,700 | -2.9% |
| 2006 | 6,600 | -1.5% |
| 2007 | 6,500 | -1.5% |
| 2008 | 6,300 | -3.1% |
| 2009 | 6,200 | -1.6% |
| 2010 | 6,200 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 6,100 | -1.6% |
| 2012 | 6,100 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 6,000 | -1.6% |
| 2014 | 5,900 | -1.7% |
| 2015 | 5,800 | -1.7% |
| 2016 | 5,600 | -3.4% |
| 2017 | 5,600 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5,200 | -7.1% |
| 2019 | 5,100 | -1.9% |
| 2020 | 6,000 | +17.6% |
| 2021 | 7,300 | +21.7% |
| 2022 | 4,900 | -32.9% |
| 2023 | 4,700 | -4.1% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of maternal deaths in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -32.9% | 7,300 | 4,900 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 17,800 | 16,000 | 20,000 | 5 |
| 1990s | 11,310 | 8,600 | 15,000 | 10 |
| 2000s | 6,970 | 6,200 | 8,200 | 10 |
| 2010s | 5,760 | 5,100 | 6,200 | 10 |
| 2020s | 5,725 | 4,700 | 7,300 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- 31 Yemen 1,600 compare
- 32 Malawi 1,500 compare
- 32 Philippines 1,500 compare
- 34 China 1,400 compare
- 34 South Africa 1,400 compare
- 36 Mozambique 1,300 compare
- 36 Senegal 1,300 compare
More health data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, annual growth rate 1.93 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0387 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 3.33 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 3.14 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0337 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per capita 0.0344 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0305 units per person (2025)
All data for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan →
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of maternal deaths in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Number of maternal deaths in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan was 4,700 in 2023, according to Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest number of maternal deaths recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The highest recorded value was 20,000 in 1985.
- What is the lowest number of maternal deaths recorded in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- The lowest recorded value was 4,700 in 2023.
- How does Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan rank for number of maternal deaths?
- Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan ranks 33rd out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is number of maternal deaths rising or falling in Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 21.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan 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.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
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.