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The maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 in Ghana

Ghana: The maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 was 263.11 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
263.11 deaths per 100,000 live births
Change on year
up 7.9%
World rank
33rd
of 185 countries
All-time high
847.99 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 1985
All-time low
243.84 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 2019
Years of data
36
1985–2020

The maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 in Ghana, 1985–2020

2004006008001985200220201985: 848 deaths per 100,000 live births1986: 815.4 deaths per 100,000 live births1987: 791.4 deaths per 100,000 live births1988: 769.3 deaths per 100,000 live births1989: 717.2 deaths per 100,000 live births1990: 708.9 deaths per 100,000 live births1991: 692.8 deaths per 100,000 live births1992: 653.7 deaths per 100,000 live births1993: 665.4 deaths per 100,000 live births1994: 648.7 deaths per 100,000 live births1995: 623.2 deaths per 100,000 live births1996: 579.2 deaths per 100,000 live births1997: 552.2 deaths per 100,000 live births1998: 534.2 deaths per 100,000 live births1999: 510.1 deaths per 100,000 live births2000: 498.9 deaths per 100,000 live births2001: 470 deaths per 100,000 live births2002: 443 deaths per 100,000 live births2003: 423.5 deaths per 100,000 live births2004: 420.4 deaths per 100,000 live births2005: 389.8 deaths per 100,000 live births2006: 364.7 deaths per 100,000 live births2007: 353.9 deaths per 100,000 live births2008: 353.7 deaths per 100,000 live births2009: 337.2 deaths per 100,000 live births2010: 336.9 deaths per 100,000 live births2011: 317.5 deaths per 100,000 live births2012: 305.3 deaths per 100,000 live births2013: 305.3 deaths per 100,000 live births2014: 286.3 deaths per 100,000 live births2015: 285.8 deaths per 100,000 live births2016: 258.1 deaths per 100,000 live births2017: 273.9 deaths per 100,000 live births2018: 272.8 deaths per 100,000 live births2019: 243.8 deaths per 100,000 live births2020: 263.1 deaths per 100,000 live births

Source: UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 live births.

Analysis

In 2020, the maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 in Ghana stood at 263.11 deaths per 100,000 live births.

The figure is up 7.9% on the previous year and down 21.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, the maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 in Ghana peaked at 847.99 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985 and was at its lowest, 243.84 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2019.

That places Ghana 33rd out of 185 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.

The maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 in Ghana, year by year

Year deaths per 100,000 live births Change
1985 847.99 deaths per 100,000 live births —
1986 815.44 deaths per 100,000 live births -3.8%
1987 791.39 deaths per 100,000 live births -2.9%
1988 769.32 deaths per 100,000 live births -2.8%
1989 717.23 deaths per 100,000 live births -6.8%
1990 708.89 deaths per 100,000 live births -1.2%
1991 692.83 deaths per 100,000 live births -2.3%
1992 653.71 deaths per 100,000 live births -5.6%
1993 665.45 deaths per 100,000 live births +1.8%
1994 648.66 deaths per 100,000 live births -2.5%
1995 623.15 deaths per 100,000 live births -3.9%
1996 579.24 deaths per 100,000 live births -7.0%
1997 552.19 deaths per 100,000 live births -4.7%
1998 534.22 deaths per 100,000 live births -3.3%
1999 510.05 deaths per 100,000 live births -4.5%
2000 498.91 deaths per 100,000 live births -2.2%
2001 469.95 deaths per 100,000 live births -5.8%
2002 443.01 deaths per 100,000 live births -5.7%
2003 423.52 deaths per 100,000 live births -4.4%
2004 420.37 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.7%
2005 389.75 deaths per 100,000 live births -7.3%
2006 364.67 deaths per 100,000 live births -6.4%
2007 353.89 deaths per 100,000 live births -3.0%
2008 353.71 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.1%
2009 337.19 deaths per 100,000 live births -4.7%
2010 336.94 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.1%
2011 317.46 deaths per 100,000 live births -5.8%
2012 305.34 deaths per 100,000 live births -3.8%
2013 305.31 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.0%
2014 286.3 deaths per 100,000 live births -6.2%
2015 285.77 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.2%
2016 258.12 deaths per 100,000 live births -9.7%
2017 273.89 deaths per 100,000 live births +6.1%
2018 272.81 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.4%
2019 243.84 deaths per 100,000 live births -10.6%
2020 263.11 deaths per 100,000 live births +7.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 788.27 deaths per 100,000 live births 717.23 deaths per 100,000 live births 847.99 deaths per 100,000 live births 5
1990s 616.84 deaths per 100,000 live births 510.05 deaths per 100,000 live births 708.89 deaths per 100,000 live births 10
2000s 405.5 deaths per 100,000 live births 337.19 deaths per 100,000 live births 498.91 deaths per 100,000 live births 10
2010s 288.58 deaths per 100,000 live births 243.84 deaths per 100,000 live births 336.94 deaths per 100,000 live births 10
2020s 263.11 deaths per 100,000 live births 263.11 deaths per 100,000 live births 263.11 deaths per 100,000 live births 1

Countries ranked near Ghana

  1. 30 Sudan 270.36 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  2. 31 Ethiopia 266.69 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  3. 32 Burkina Faso 263.75 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  4. 34 Senegal 260.88 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  5. 35 Venezuela 259.19 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  6. 36 Rwanda 258.93 deaths per 100,000 live births compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More health data for Ghana

All data for Ghana →

Frequently asked questions

What is the maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 in Ghana?
The maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 in Ghana was 263.11 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, according to UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest the maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 recorded in Ghana?
The highest recorded value was 847.99 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985.
What is the lowest the maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 recorded in Ghana?
The lowest recorded value was 243.84 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2019.
How does Ghana rank for the maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020?
Ghana ranks 33rd out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
Is the maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 rising or falling in Ghana?
Over the last ten years it is down 21.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ghana data come from?
The figures come from UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of The maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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The maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 in Ghana. Statizoid, drawing on UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 29 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/the-maternal-mortality-ratio-in-1985-and-2020/ghana/

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About this data

Indicator
The maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020
Unit
deaths per 100,000 live births
Source
UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
185 places, 6,660 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

The estimated maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.