Too many yet too few: the double burden of Caesarean births

Abstract

The Caesarean section rate varies worldwide from 1% to 58%. It is particularly low (below 5%) in less developed countries in sub-Saharan Africa such as Mali (2%), Nigeria (3%), and the Congo (5%). At the other end of the spectrum, it is over 30% in European countries such as Cyprus (57%), Georgia (41%), Romania (40%), and Italy (35%). It is also high in Latin America, which has a long history of Caesarean deliveries. The Dominican Republic has the highest rate (58%), followed by Brazil (55%), Chile (50%), and Excuador (49%).