Table 2

Caesarean section (CS) rate changes in regions/subregions from 1990 to 2018

Region/subregion*NCoverage (%)Rate changes (%, 95% CI)
1990–20002000–20102010–20181990–2018
Africa4894.41.5 (0.7 to 2.4)3.7 (1.5 to 5.8)2.3 (1.3 to 3.3)7.5 (3.7 to 11.3)
 Northern Africa597.46.2 (0.4 to 12.0)16.2 (-2.2 to 34.7)9.1 (3.3 to 14.8)31.5 (2.6 to 60.5)
 Sub-Saharan Africa4393.90.8 (0.3 to 1.3)1.6 (1.1 to 2.2)1.2 (0.8 to 1.6)3.6 (2.4 to 4.8)
Asia4298.46.2 (5.1 to 7.2)10.6 (8.1 to 13.1)7.7 (5.9 to 9.6)24.5 (19.5 to 29.4)
 Central Asia51001.8 (0.3 to 3.2)4.8 (2.3 to 7.2)3.4 (2.1 to 4.8)9.9 (5.2 to 14.6)
 Eastern Asia51008.7 (5.4 to 11.9)20.9 (11.3 to 30.4)15.3 (9.0 to 21.6)44.9 (28.8 to 60.9)
 South-eastern Asia890.14.5 (1.7 to 7.3)6.7 (4.1 to 9.3)4.5 (1.5 to 7.6)15.8 (8.7 to 22.8)
 Southern Asia81004.8 (3.3 to 6.3)6.7 (4.2 to 9.3)4.9 (1.9 to 7.9)16.4 (10.9 to 21.9)
 Western Asia1699.012.1 (9.0 to 15.2)12.9 (7.2 to 18.6)9.7 (7.3 to 12.0)34.7 (24.0 to 45.3)
Europe3898.57.1 (6.1 to 8.1)7.3 (5.9 to 8.7)4.5 (3.5 to 5.5)18.9 (16.1 to 21.8)
 Eastern Europe101007.9 (5.9 to 9.8)9.7 (6.8 to 12.7)6.3 (4.6 to 7.9)23.9 (17.7 to 30.0)
 Northern Europe101007.4 (5.4 to 9.5)3.8 (2.3 to 5.2)2.8 (1.0 to 4.5)14.0 (9.8 to 18.1)
 Southern Europe1192.49.3 (7.3 to 11.2)6.1 (3.3 to 8.9)5.4 (3.1 to 7.7)20.7 (16.2 to 25.3)
 Western Europe71004.3 (2.9 to 5.7)6.6 (3.3 to 9.9)2.1 (0.1 to 4.1)13.0 (7.1 to 18.9)
Americas2596.05.6 (3.1 to 8.2)11.2 (9.5 to 12.8)3.5 (1.7 to 5.3)20.3 (15.1 to 25.5)
 Latin America and the Caribbean2394.37.8 (5.2 to 10.4)11.8 (9.9 to 13.8)5.2 (3.5 to 6.9)24.9 (19.5 to 30.3)
 Northern America21000.5 (−14.2 to 15.2)9.5 (−7.2 to 26.2)−0.5 (−17.5 to 16.4)9.5 (−5.4 to 24.5)
Oceania†660.84.7 (1.3 to 8.2)6.6 (2.2 to 11)4.4 (2.2 to 6.7)15.8 (5.9 to 25.6)
 Australia and New Zealand21005.4 (−6.8 to 17.6)7.3 (−19.7 to 34.3)4.8 (−0.2 to 9.8)17.5 (−26.6 to 61.7)
World total15996.95.0 (4.3 to 5.6)8.7 (7.5 to 9.9)5.7 (4.8 to 6.5)19.4 (16.9 to 21.9)
 More developed countries4599.14.8 (3.7 to 6.0)7.6 (6.5 to 8.7)2.6 (1.6 to 3.6)15.1 (12.7 to 17.4)
 Less developed countries7598.86.0 (5.0 to 7.0)10.2 (8.3 to 12.2)6.7 (5.4 to 8.0)22.9 (19.1 to 26.8)
 Least developed countries3989.51.4 (1.0 to 1.8)3.7 (2.2 to 5.3)3.4 (1.9 to 5.0)8.6 (5.3 to 11.8)
  • *Countries categorised according to the UN geographical grouping.

  • †Changes of CS rates in Melanesia, Micronesia and Polynesia are not presented due to the low coverage in this subregion (10.5%).