A retrospective analysis of all deliveries that occurred at Jimma hospital, south western Ethiopia from September 1990 to May 1999 was conducted to determine the incidence, maternal and perinatal outcome, sociodemographic and clinical characteristics of mothers with obstructed labor. Seven percent (945/13,425) of the deliveries were complicated with obstructed labor with an overall increasing trend noted during the study period. Sixty seven percent of the cases were primigravida and grand multiparous mothers. Fourteen percent of obstructed labor occurred among teenage pregnant mothers. Forty four percent of the cases had no antenatal care while 35.1% had antenatal care. Cephalopelvic disproportion (CPD) was responsible for 80.6% of the cases, malpresentations accounting for the remainder, shoulder presentation being the commonest (11.5%). Fifty eight percent of the CPD cases were among the primigravida but para two to four mothers were not immune accounting for 25.7% of the cases, the rest being grand multipara, (15%). Fifty seven percent of the ruptured uterus cases were para two to four mothers while primigravids accounted for 7.2%. Maternal mortality was 9.1% while 62.1% of the perinates died with only 12.5% of the neonates having normal first minute apgar scores. Obstructed labor was the commonest cause of maternal and perinatal mortality at the hospital during the study period responsible for 45.5% and 37.4% of the deaths respectively. Any attempt to reduce maternal mortality at the hospital must comprehensively address the issue of obstructed labor, identify risk groups of mothers for this peripartum complication and design preventive strategies.