Prevalence of Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in Africa

Map 
The following map outlines the approximate prevalence of FGM in Africa. For more detailed data, see table below.

Important note on data:
There are no exact data on the prevalence of FGM in Africa. The map is based on data selected from various sources, destined not to have used the same methology collecting them. Most available data were on a country basis, though often named peoples were singled out as practising FGM. These data were thus projected on the approximate areas these people inhabit. Note that the map's scale is very coarse, the presentation not giving room for the very many local variations in prevalence.

As a very coarse and general illustration, the map however has some analythic value. For example, as clearly will be seen, although FGM is most common in Muslim countries, FGM prevalence in no way follows the prevalence of Islam. Rather, FGM prevalence seems to follow regional cultures independent on religion.

 

Basic country FGM facts Select country: Select ----> Algeria Angola Benin Botswana Burkina Faso Burundi Cameroon Cape Verde Central African Republic Chad Comoros Congo-Brazzaville Congo-Kinshasa Côte d'Ivoire Djibouti Egypt Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Ethiopia Gabon The Gambia Ghana Guinea Guinea-Bissau Ivory Coast Kenya Lesotho Liberia Libya Madagascar Malawi Mali Mauritania Mauritius Morocco Mozambique Namibia Niger Nigeria Rwanda Sao Tomé and Principe Senegal Seychelles Sierra Leone Somalia South Africa Sudan Swaziland Tanzania Togo Tunisia Uganda Western Sahara Zambia Zimbabwe FGM Prevalence: Legal status: Religion: Population: GDP/capita:

FGM by type
The World Health Organization classifies FGM into four types: 

•Type I. Excision of the prepuce, with or without excision of part or all of the clitoris. 

•Type II. Excision of the clitoris with partial or total excision of the labia minora. 

•Type Ill. Excision of part or all of the external genitalia and stitching/narrowing of the vaginal opening (infibulation). 

•Type IV. Unclassified: this includes pricking, piercing or incising of the clitoris and/or labia; stretching of the clitoris and/or labia cauterization by burning of the clitoris and surrounding tissue.

 

FGM practices by country and type
Country	Prevalence	Type
Benin	5-50%	excision
Burkina Faso	up to 70%	excision
Cameroon	local	clitoridectomy and excision
Central Afr. Republic	45-50%	clitoridectomy and excision
Chad	60%	excision and infibulation
Comoros	very local	excision
Côte d'Ivoire	up to 60%	excision
DRC (Congo)	local	excision
Djibouti	98%	excision and infibulation
Egypt	85-95%	clitoridectomy, excision and infibulation
Eritrea	95%	clitoridectomy, excision and infibulation
Ethiopia	70-90%	clitoridectomy, excision and infibulation
Gambia	60-90%	excision and infibulation
Ghana	15-30%	excision
Guinea	65-90%	clitoridectomy, excision and infibulation
Guinea Bissau	local	clitoridectomy and excision
Kenya	50%	clitoridectomy, excision and some infibulation
Liberia	50%	excision
Mali	94%	clitoridectomy, excision and infibulation
Mauritania	25%	clitoridectomy and excision
Niger	local	excision
Nigeria	60-90%	clitoridectomy, excision, some infibulation
Senegal	20%	excision
Sierra Leone	90%	excision
Somalia	98%	infibulation
Sudan	90%	infibulation and excision
Tanzania	18%	excision, infibulation
Togo	12%	excision
Uganda	local	clitoridectomy and excision
Based on statistics from Amnesty International and US govt.

Sources: Based on UN agencies, Amnesty, US govt. and afrol archives

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