Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births) - Country Ranking

Definition: Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on the proportion of maternal deaths among non-AIDS deaths in women ages 15-49, fertility, birth attendants, and GDP measured using purchasing power parities (PPPs).

Source: WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and the United Nations Population Division. Trends in Maternal Mortality: 2000 to 2017. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2019

See also: Thematic map, Time series comparison

Find indicator:
Rank Country Value Year
1 Chad 1,140.00 2017
2 Sierra Leone 1,120.00 2017
3 Nigeria 917.00 2017
4 Central African Republic 829.00 2017
4 Somalia 829.00 2017
6 Mauritania 766.00 2017
7 Guinea-Bissau 667.00 2017
8 Liberia 661.00 2017
9 Afghanistan 638.00 2017
10 Côte d'Ivoire 617.00 2017
11 The Gambia 597.00 2017
12 Guinea 576.00 2017
13 Mali 562.00 2017
14 Burundi 548.00 2017
15 Lesotho 544.00 2017
16 Cameroon 529.00 2017
17 Tanzania 524.00 2017
18 Niger 509.00 2017
19 Haiti 480.00 2017
19 Eritrea 480.00 2017
21 Dem. Rep. Congo 473.00 2017
22 Zimbabwe 458.00 2017
23 Eswatini 437.00 2017
24 Ethiopia 401.00 2017
25 Benin 397.00 2017
26 Togo 396.00 2017
27 Congo 378.00 2017
28 Uganda 375.00 2017
29 Malawi 349.00 2017
30 Kenya 342.00 2017
31 Madagascar 335.00 2017
32 Burkina Faso 320.00 2017
33 Senegal 315.00 2017
34 Ghana 308.00 2017
35 Equatorial Guinea 301.00 2017
36 Sudan 295.00 2017
37 Mozambique 289.00 2017
38 Comoros 273.00 2017
39 Gabon 252.00 2017
40 Myanmar 250.00 2017
41 Djibouti 248.00 2017
41 Rwanda 248.00 2017
43 Angola 241.00 2017
44 Zambia 213.00 2017
45 Namibia 195.00 2017
46 Nepal 186.00 2017
47 Lao PDR 185.00 2017
48 Bhutan 183.00 2017
49 Indonesia 177.00 2017
50 Bangladesh 173.00 2017
51 Guyana 169.00 2017
52 Yemen 164.00 2017
53 Cambodia 160.00 2017
54 Bolivia 155.00 2017
55 India 145.00 2017
55 Papua New Guinea 145.00 2017
57 Botswana 144.00 2017
58 Timor-Leste 142.00 2017
59 Pakistan 140.00 2017
60 São Tomé and Principe 130.00 2017
61 Paraguay 129.00 2017
62 Venezuela 125.00 2017
63 Philippines 121.00 2017
64 Suriname 120.00 2017
65 South Africa 119.00 2017
66 St. Lucia 117.00 2017
67 Algeria 112.00 2017
68 Solomon Islands 104.00 2017
69 Nicaragua 98.00 2017
70 Guatemala 95.00 2017
70 Dominican Republic 95.00 2017
72 Kiribati 92.00 2017
73 Dem. People's Rep. Korea 89.00 2017
74 Peru 88.00 2017
75 Colombia 83.00 2017
76 Jamaica 80.00 2017
77 Iraq 79.00 2017
78 Libya 72.00 2017
78 Vanuatu 72.00 2017
80 Morocco 70.00 2017
80 The Bahamas 70.00 2017
82 St. Vincent and the Grenadines 68.00 2017
83 Trinidad and Tobago 67.00 2017
84 Honduras 65.00 2017
85 Mauritius 61.00 2017
86 Kyrgyz Republic 60.00 2017
86 Brazil 60.00 2017
88 Ecuador 59.00 2017
89 Cabo Verde 58.00 2017
90 Seychelles 53.00 2017
91 Panama 52.00 2017
91 Tonga 52.00 2017
93 El Salvador 46.00 2017
93 Jordan 46.00 2017
95 Mongolia 45.00 2017
96 Tunisia 43.00 2017
96 Vietnam 43.00 2017
96 Samoa 43.00 2017
99 Antigua and Barbuda 42.00 2017
100 Argentina 39.00 2017
101 Egypt 37.00 2017
101 Thailand 37.00 2017
103 Cuba 36.00 2017
103 Belize 36.00 2017
103 Sri Lanka 36.00 2017
106 Fiji 34.00 2017
107 Mexico 33.00 2017
108 Brunei 31.00 2017
108 Syrian Arab Republic 31.00 2017
110 China 29.00 2017
110 Lebanon 29.00 2017
110 Uzbekistan 29.00 2017
110 Malaysia 29.00 2017
114 Costa Rica 27.00 2017
114 Barbados 27.00 2017
116 Armenia 26.00 2017
116 Azerbaijan 26.00 2017
118 Grenada 25.00 2017
118 Georgia 25.00 2017
120 Puerto Rico 21.00 2017
121 Romania 19.00 2017
121 Moldova 19.00 2017
121 Latvia 19.00 2017
121 United States 19.00 2017
121 Ukraine 19.00 2017
121 Oman 19.00 2017
127 Russia 17.00 2017
127 Uruguay 17.00 2017
127 Tajikistan 17.00 2017
127 Saudi Arabia 17.00 2017
127 Turkey 17.00 2017
132 Iran 16.00 2017
133 Albania 15.00 2017
134 Bahrain 14.00 2017
135 Chile 13.00 2017
136 Hungary 12.00 2017
136 Serbia 12.00 2017
136 Kuwait 12.00 2017
139 Korea 11.00 2017
140 Bulgaria 10.00 2017
140 Bosnia and Herzegovina 10.00 2017
140 Canada 10.00 2017
140 Kazakhstan 10.00 2017
144 New Zealand 9.00 2017
144 Estonia 9.00 2017
144 Qatar 9.00 2017
147 Portugal 8.00 2017
147 Singapore 8.00 2017
147 Croatia 8.00 2017
147 Lithuania 8.00 2017
147 France 8.00 2017
152 North Macedonia 7.00 2017
152 Turkmenistan 7.00 2017
152 United Kingdom 7.00 2017
152 Germany 7.00 2017
152 Slovenia 7.00 2017
157 Cyprus 6.00 2017
157 Australia 6.00 2017
157 Malta 6.00 2017
157 Montenegro 6.00 2017
161 Luxembourg 5.00 2017
161 Japan 5.00 2017
161 Ireland 5.00 2017
161 Netherlands 5.00 2017
161 Austria 5.00 2017
161 Switzerland 5.00 2017
161 Belgium 5.00 2017
161 Slovak Republic 5.00 2017
169 Denmark 4.00 2017
169 Iceland 4.00 2017
169 Spain 4.00 2017
169 Sweden 4.00 2017
173 Czech Republic 3.00 2017
173 Israel 3.00 2017
173 Finland 3.00 2017
173 United Arab Emirates 3.00 2017
173 Greece 3.00 2017
178 Belarus 2.00 2017
178 Italy 2.00 2017
178 Poland 2.00 2017
178 Norway 2.00 2017

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Limitations and Exceptions: The methodology differs from that used for previous estimates, so data should not be compared historically. Maternal mortality ratios are generally of unknown reliability, as are many other cause-specific mortality indicators. The ratios cannot be assumed to provide an exact estimate of maternal mortality.

Original Source Notes: Estimates of maternal mortality are presented along with upper and lower limits of intervals (see footnote) designed to depict the uncertainty of estimates. The intervals are the product of a detailed probabilistic evaluation of the uncertainty attributa

Statistical Concept and Methodology: Reproductive health is a state of physical and mental well-being in relation to the reproductive system and its functions and processes. Means of achieving reproductive health include education and services during pregnancy and childbirth, safe and effective contraception, and prevention and treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Complications of pregnancy and childbirth are the leading cause of death and disability among women of reproductive age in developing countries. Maternal mortality is generally of unknown reliability, as are many other cause-specific mortality indicators. Household surveys such as Demographic and Health Surveys attempt to measure maternal mortality by asking respondents about survivorship of sisters. The main disadvantage of this method is that the estimates of maternal mortality that it produces pertain to any time within the past few years before the survey, making them unsuitable for monitoring recent changes or observing the impact of interventions. In addition, measurement of maternal mortality is subject to many types of errors. Even in high-income countries with reliable vital registration systems, misclassification of maternal deaths has been found to lead to serious underestimation. The estimates are based on an exercise by the Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG) which consists of World Health Organization (WHO), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), World Bank, and United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and include country-level time series data. For countries without complete registration data but with other types of data and for countries with no data, maternal mortality is estimated with a regression model using available national maternal mortality data and socioeconomic information.

Aggregation method: Weighted average

Periodicity: Annual

General Comments: This indicator represents the risk associated with each pregnancy and is also a Sustainable Development Goal Indicator for monitoring maternal health.