The number of maternal deaths and maternal mortality rates for selected causes, 2000 to most recent year.

Maternal mortality ratio is defined as the number of female deaths due to obstetric causes (ICD-10 codes: A34, O00-O95, O98-O99) while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy. The maternal mortality ratio indicates the likelihood of a pregnant person dying of obstetric causes. It is calculated by dividing the number of deaths among birthing people attributable to obstetric causes in a calendar year by the number of live births registered for the same period and is presented as a rate per 100,000 live births. The number of live births used in the denominator approximates the population of pregnant and birthing people who are at risk. Data are not presented for geographies with number of maternal deaths less than 11.Compared to other high-income countries, women in the US are more likely to die from childbirth or problems related to pregnancy. In addition, there are persistent disparities by race and ethnicity, with Black pregnant persons experiencing a much higher rate of maternal mortality compared to White pregnant persons. Improving the quality of medical care for pregnant individuals before, during, and after pregnancy can help reduce maternal deaths.For more information about the Community Health Profiles Data Initiative, please see the initiative homepage.

For most of human history, pregnancy and childbirth were very risky; mothers would die in at least 1 in 100 pregnancies.1

Since the average woman would have at least four or five children, the lifetime risk of dying from maternal causes would be at least 1 in 25.2 This was true everywhere.

Thankfully, that’s no longer the case. We’ve made huge strides in not only protecting infants in childbirth and the early stages of their lives, but we’ve also made it much safer for women.

But we’re not done yet. There are still huge inequalities in the risks of pregnancy across the world. Pregnant women in countries like Sierra Leone and Kenya are around 100 times more likely to die during pregnancy or childbirth than those in countries like Norway, Sweden, or Germany.3 But it doesn’t have to be this way. We could save hundreds of thousands of lives a year by closing these gaps.

I’ve compared three scenarios in the chart below to clarify these points.

First, we can see that the situation today is awful. 286,000 women died from maternal causes in 2020.4 That’s 784 deaths per day on average, or one mother dying every two minutes.5

Second, we can consider the very high maternal mortality rates of the past. Particularly good long-term data is available for Finland or Sweden, which shows that in 1750, around 900 women died per 100,000 live births.6 Since there were 135 million births in 2020, I calculate that 1.2 million women would have died from maternal causes that year if these rates hadn’t improved.7 Things are much, much better than they used to be.

Finally, things can still be much better. We know this because some countries have maternal mortality rates that are far lower than the global average. And they all used to be in a similar position to the worst-off countries today. In Europe, the maternal mortality rate was 8 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. That’s around 25 times lower than the global average.8 If all countries could achieve the same outcomes as Europe, 11,000 women would have died from maternal causes in 2020 — a small fraction of the 286,000 deaths that occurred.9

Providing the best conditions for women everywhere would reduce the global death toll by 275,000 maternal deaths a year.

Statistics on maternal mortality are produced based on the database of causes of death. "Maternal deaths" are selected from the database via a complex procedure, which takes into account the definition given by the WHO and is described in detail in the metadata. The tenth revision of the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) defines maternal death as "the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes." "Maternal deaths should be subdivided into two groups. Direct obstetric deaths: those resulting from obstetric complications of the pregnant state (pregnancy, labour and puerperium), from interventions, omissions, incorrect treatment, or from a chain of events resulting from any of the above. Indirect obstetric deaths: those resulting from previous existing disease or disease that developed during pregnancy and which was not due to direct obstetric causes, but which was aggravated by physiologic effects of pregnancy." Furthermore, the ICD-10 also defines late maternal death as "the death of a woman from direct or indirect obstetric causes more than 42 days but less than one year after termination of pregnancy." The "maternal mortality rate" is the ratio between the number of recorded direct and indirect maternal deaths over one year and the number of live birth in the same year, expressed per 100,000 live births. Late maternal deaths are not taken into account in the calculation of this ratio. Given the small and markedly variable number of cases recorded each year in Belgium, it has been decided to calculate this ratio based on the cumulated maternal deaths and live births of five consecutive years, with the ratio calculated being recorded in the middle year. When identifying these maternal deaths, the ad hoc working group, bringing together the Belgian statistical office and all data producing federated entities, did not exclude the risk of an underestimation of these deaths, based on the only statistical bulletin used as main source. It therefore asks for continued efforts to further improve the follow-up of maternal deaths, and supports the recent initiative of the College of physicians for Mother and Newborn to consider the creation of a maternal mortality register.

United States US: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data was reported at 14.000 Ratio in 2015. This stayed constant from the previous number of 14.000 Ratio for 2014. United States US: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 13.000 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2015, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.000 Ratio in 2009 and a record low of 11.000 Ratio in 1998. United States US: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s USA – Table US.World Bank: Health Statistics. 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.; ; WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and the United Nations Population Division. Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2015. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2015; Weighted average; This indicator represents the risk associated with each pregnancy and is also a Sustainable Development Goal Indicator for monitoring maternal health.

Maternal mortality is widely considered an indicator of overall population health and the status of women in the population. DOHMH uses multiple methods including death certificates, vital records linkage, medical examiner records, and hospital discharge data to identify all pregnancy-associated deaths (deaths that occur during pregnancy or within a year of the end of pregnancy) of New York state residents in NYC each year. DOHMH convenes the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee (M3RC), a multidisciplinary and diverse group of 40 members that conducts an in-depth, expert review of each pregnancy-associated death of New York state residents occurring in NYC from both clinical and social determinants of health perspectives. The data in this table come from vital records and the M3RC review process. Data are not cross-classified on all variables: cause of death data are available by the relation to pregnancy (pregnancy-related, pregnancy-associated but not related, unable to determine), race/ethnicity and borough of residence data are each separately available for the total number of pregnancy-associated deaths and pregnancy-related deaths only.

In 2023, non-Hispanic Black women had the highest rates of maternal mortality among select races/ethnicities in the United States, with 50.3 deaths per 100,000 live births. The total maternal mortality rate in the U.S. at that time was 18.6 per 100,000 live births, a decrease from a rate of almost 33 in 2021. This statistic presents the maternal mortality rates in the United States from 2018 to 2023, by race and ethnicity.

This dataset presents the total number of maternal deaths reported per country in a given reference year. Maternal death is defined as the death of a woman during pregnancy or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, from causes related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management. This absolute number provides important context alongside the maternal mortality ratio (MMR), supporting understanding of overall burden and trends over time. Data are sourced from the WHO Global Health Observatory, which provides globally standardised maternal health statistics.Data Source:WHO Global Health Observatory: https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/indicators/indicator-details/GHO/number-of-maternal-deathsThis is one of many datasets featured on the Midwives’ Data Hub, a digital platform designed to strengthen midwifery and advocate for better maternal and newborn health services.

The dataset contains year and state wise Maternal Mortality Ratio

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines maternal death as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.

Note: Maternal Mortality Ratio (MMR) is derived as the proportion of maternal deaths per 1,00,000 live births reported under the SRS.

This data presents national-level provisional maternal mortality rates based on a current flow of mortality and natality data in the National Vital Statistics System. Provisional rates which are an early estimate of the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, are shown as of the date specified and may not include all deaths and births that occurred during a given time period (see Technical Notes). A maternal death is the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy irrespective of the duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes. In this data visualization, maternal deaths are those deaths with an underlying cause of death assigned to International Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision (ICD-10) code numbers A34, O00–O95, and O98–O99. The provisional data include reported 12 month-ending provisional maternal mortality rates overall, by age, and by race and Hispanic origin. Provisional maternal mortality rates presented in this data visualization are for “12-month ending periods,” defined as the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births occurring in the 12-month period ending in the month indicated. For example, the 12-month ending period in June 2020 would include deaths and births occurring from July 1, 2019, through June 30, 2020. Evaluation of trends over time should compare estimates from year to year (June 2020 and June 2021), rather than month to month, to avoid overlapping time periods. In the visualization and in the accompanying data file, rates based on death counts less than 20 are suppressed in accordance with current NCHS standards of reliability for rates. Death counts between 1-9 in the data file are suppressed in accordance with National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) confidentiality standards. Provisional data presented on this page will be updated on a quarterly basis as additional records are received. Previously released estimates are revised to include data and record updates received since the previous release. As a result, the reliability of estimates for a 12-month period ending with a specific month will improve with each quarterly release and estimates for previous time periods may change as new data and updates are received.

Time series data for the statistic Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births) and country Eswatini. Indicator 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).The indicator "Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births)" stands at 118.00 as of 12/31/2023. Regarding the One-Year-Change of the series, the current value constitutes an increase of 5.36 percent compared to the value the year prior.The 1 year change in percent is 5.36.The 3 year change in percent is 15.69.The 5 year change in percent is -11.28.The 10 year change in percent is -75.97.The Serie's long term average value is 455.49. It's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is 74.09 percent lower, compared to it's long term average value.The Serie's change in percent from it's minimum value, on 12/31/2019, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is +22.92%.The Serie's change in percent from it's maximum value, on 12/31/2009, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is -86.20%.

Time series data for the statistic Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births) and country Lebanon. Indicator 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).The indicator "Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births)" stands at 15.00 as of 12/31/2023. Regarding the One-Year-Change of the series, the current value is equal to the value the year prior.The 1 year change in percent is 0.0.The 3 year change in percent is -44.44.The 5 year change in percent is 0.0.The 10 year change in percent is 15.38.The Serie's long term average value is 27.10. It's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is 44.65 percent lower, compared to it's long term average value.The Serie's change in percent from it's minimum value, on 12/31/2013, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is +15.38%.The Serie's change in percent from it's maximum value, on 12/31/1987, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is -76.92%.

Abstract This article explores women’s reproductive health in early twentieth-century Rio de Janeiro, showing that elevated and sustained stillbirth and maternal mortality rates marked women’s reproductive years. Syphilis and obstetric complications during childbirth were the main causes of stillbirths, while puerperal fever led maternal death rates. Utilizing traditional sources such as medical dissertations and lesser-used sources including criminal investigations, this article argues that despite official efforts to medicalize childbirth and increase access to clinical healthcare, no real improvements were made to women’s reproductive health in the first half of the twentieth century. This, of course, did not make pregnancy and childbirth any easier for the women who embodied these statistics in their reproductive lives.

Ireland IE: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data was reported at 8.000 Ratio in 2015. This stayed constant from the previous number of 8.000 Ratio for 2014. Ireland IE: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 8.500 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2015, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.000 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 7.000 Ratio in 2010. Ireland IE: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Ireland – Table IE.World Bank: Health Statistics. 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.; ; WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and the United Nations Population Division. Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2015. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2015; Weighted average; This indicator represents the risk associated with each pregnancy and is also a Sustainable Development Goal Indicator for monitoring maternal health.

This is a publication on maternity activity in English NHS hospitals. This report examines data relating to delivery and birth episodes in 2023-24, and the booking appointments for these deliveries. This annual publication covers the financial year ending March 2024. Data is included from both the Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) data warehouse and the Maternity Services Data Set (MSDS). HES contains records of all admissions, appointments and attendances for patients admitted to NHS hospitals in England. The HES data used in this publication are called 'delivery episodes'. The MSDS collects records of each stage of the maternity service care pathway in NHS-funded maternity services, and includes information not recorded in HES. The MSDS is a maturing, national-level dataset. In April 2019, the MSDS transitioned to a new version of the dataset. This version, MSDS v2.0, is an update that introduced a new structure and content - including clinical terminology, in order to meet current clinical practice and incorporate new requirements. It is designed to meet requirements that resulted from the National Maternity Review, which led to the publication of the Better Births report in February 2016. This is the fifth publication of data from MSDS v2.0 and data from 2019-20 onwards is not directly comparable to data from previous years. This publication shows the number of HES delivery episodes during the period, with a number of breakdowns including by method of onset of labour, delivery method and place of delivery. It also shows the number of MSDS deliveries recorded during the period, with a breakdown for the mother's smoking status at the booking appointment by age group. It also provides counts of live born term babies with breakdowns for the general condition of newborns (via Apgar scores), skin-to-skin contact and baby's first feed type - all immediately after birth. There is also data available in a separate file on breastfeeding at 6 to 8 weeks. For the first time information on 'Smoking at Time of Delivery' has been presented using annual data from the MSDS. This includes national data broken down by maternal age, ethnicity and deprivation. From 2025/2026, MSDS will become the official source of 'Smoking at Time of Delivery' information and will replace the historic 'Smoking at Time of Delivery' data which is to become retired. We are currently undergoing dual collection and reporting on a quarterly basis for 2024/25 to help users compare information from the two sources. We are working with data submitters to help reconcile any discrepancies at a local level before any close down activities begin. A link to the dual reporting in the SATOD publication series can be found in the links below. Information on how all measures are constructed can be found in the HES Metadata and MSDS Metadata files provided below. In this publication we have also included an interactive Power BI dashboard to enable users to explore key NHS Maternity Statistics measures. The purpose of this publication is to inform and support strategic and policy-led processes for the benefit of patient care. This report will also be of interest to researchers, journalists and members of the public interested in NHS hospital activity in England. Any feedback on this publication or dashboard can be provided to enquiries@nhsdigital.nhs.uk, under the subject “NHS Maternity Statistics”.

Abstract Objective To study the structure ofmaternalmortality caused by abortion in the Tula region. Methods The medical records of deceased pregnant women, childbirth, and postpartum from January 01, 2001, to December 31, 2015, were analyzed. Results Overall, 204,095 abortion cases were recorded in the Tula region for over 15 years. The frequency of abortion was reduced 4-fold, with 18,200 in 2001 to 4,538 in 2015. The rate of abortions per 1,000 women (age 15-44 years) for 15 years decreased by 40.5%, that is, from 46.53 (2001) to 18.84 (2015), and that of abortions per 100 live births and stillbirths was 29.5%, that is, from 161.7 (2001) to 41.5 (2015). Five women died from abortion complications that began outside of the hospital, which accounted for 0.01% of the total number. In the structure of causes of maternal mortality for 15 years, abortion represented 14.3% of the cases. Lethality mainly occurred in the period from 2001 to 2005 (4 cases). Among thematernal deaths, many women died in rural areas after pregnancy termination at 18 to 20 weeks of gestation (n = 4). In addition, three women died from sepsis and two from bleeding. Conclusion The introduction of modern, effective technologies of family planning has reduced maternal mortality due to abortion.

Sweden SE: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data was reported at 4.000 Ratio in 2015. This stayed constant from the previous number of 4.000 Ratio for 2014. Sweden SE: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 5.000 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2015, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 8.000 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 4.000 Ratio in 2015. Sweden SE: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Sweden – Table SE.World Bank: Health Statistics. 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.; ; WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and the United Nations Population Division. Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2015. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2015; Weighted average; This indicator represents the risk associated with each pregnancy and is also a Sustainable Development Goal Indicator for monitoring maternal health.

Yemen YE: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data was reported at 385.000 Ratio in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 398.000 Ratio for 2014. Yemen YE: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data is updated yearly, averaging 430.000 Ratio from Dec 1990 (Median) to 2015, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 547.000 Ratio in 1990 and a record low of 385.000 Ratio in 2015. Yemen YE: Maternal Mortality Ratio: Modeled Estimate: per 100,000 Live Births data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Yemen – Table YE.World Bank: Health Statistics. 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.; ; WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and the United Nations Population Division. Trends in Maternal Mortality: 1990 to 2015. Geneva, World Health Organization, 2015; Weighted average; This indicator represents the risk associated with each pregnancy and is also a Sustainable Development Goal Indicator for monitoring maternal health.

Abstract Introduction There is a great challenge to reduce infant mortality from preventable causes in Brazil, given the inequalities that exist in the territory. Objective To estimate the Infant Mortality Rate due to preventable causes and to compare the results between the border and non-border municipalities, in the State of Mato Grosso do Sul. Method This is an ecological study. Three groups from cities were analyzed: Group 1 - contiguous cities with urban border in a neighboring country; Group 2 - non-contiguous cities with urban border in a neighboring country; e Group 3 - non-border cities. The data were obtained from Living Born Information System and Mortality Information System. Results Infant mortality rates per 1,000 live births, by preventable causes in 2004 and 2014, were respectively: Group 1 (21.8 / 11.29), Group 2 (24.68 / 14.7) and Group 3 (14.3 / 7.23). The highest occurrence of deaths happened due to causes related to inadequate care to women during pregnancy, childbirth, fetus and the newborn. Conclusion The risk of death due to preventable causes is higher in children living in border cities, and this should be considered in the elaboration of future health policies and actions.

Time series data for the statistic Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births) and country Mexico. Indicator 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).The indicator "Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births)" stands at 42.00 as of 12/31/2023, the lowest value at least since 12/31/1986, the period currently displayed. Regarding the One-Year-Change of the series, the current value constitutes a decrease of -6.67 percent compared to the value the year prior.The 1 year change in percent is -6.67.The 3 year change in percent is -31.15.The 5 year change in percent is -4.55.The 10 year change in percent is -6.67.The Serie's long term average value is 61.10. It's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is 31.26 percent lower, compared to it's long term average value.The Serie's change in percent from it's minimum value, on 12/31/2023, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is +0.0%.The Serie's change in percent from it's maximum value, on 12/31/1985, to it's latest available value, on 12/31/2023, is -60.75%.