Gitnux/Report 2026

Maternal Mortality Rate Statistics

See how maternal death risk still varies by nearly 100 fold between countries, with the global maternal mortality ratio at 223 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020 and the United States at 23.8 per 100,000 live births in 2021. The page ties those headline gaps to the causes that drive them, from postpartum hemorrhage and hypertensive disorders to access barriers like distant facilities and lack of antenatal care.
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Maternal Mortality Rate Statistics
Helena KowalczykWritten by Helena Kowalczyk·Edited by Kevin O'Brien·Fact-checked by Olivia Thornton
Last verified Jun 17, 2026
Verified via a 4-step process
01Source

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Verify

Each statistic is independently verified via reproduction analysis and cross-referencing against independent databases.

03Grade

Figures are graded by cross-model consensus. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited.

04Cite

Every figure carries a primary source. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates so the report can be cited.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

Next review Dec 2026
Maternal mortality still stands at 223 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, meaning preventable causes of pregnancy and childbirth continue to claim hundreds of thousands of lives each year. Even among high income countries, the range is stark from the United Kingdom to the United States and across regions and communities it can balloon to rates more than 500 or even 1,000 per 100,000. Below, the post stitches those contrasts together so you can see where progress is accelerating, where it has stalled, and what risks consistently rise with it.

Key Takeaways

  • United States MMR was 23.8 per 100,000 live births in 2021, highest in high-income countries
  • United Kingdom MMR 13.4 per 100,000 maternities in 2018-2020 triennium
  • India MMR declined to 97 per 100,000 live births by 2018-20
  • Black women in US have MMR 55.3 per 100,000 vs 22.3 White 2018-2020
  • Age >35 years increases MMR risk 5-fold globally
  • Rural women MMR 1.5 times urban in low-income countries
  • The global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in 2020 stood at 223 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, reflecting a decline from previous years but still far from SDG targets
  • An estimated 287,000 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth in 2020 worldwide
  • Between 2000 and 2020, global MMR dropped by 34%, from 339 to 223 deaths per 100,000 live births
  • Global MMR fell from 385 to 211 per 100,000 live births between 1990 and 2017
  • US MMR increased from 18.8 in 2010 to 23.8 per 100,000 in 2021
  • India MMR declined 70% from 384 in 2000 to 113 in 2016-18
  • Africa has MMR of 520 per 100,000 live births in 2020, highest regional rate
  • Eastern Mediterranean region MMR at 244 per 100,000 live births in 2020
  • Europe regional MMR lowest at 13 per 100,000 live births in 2020

Maternal mortality remains highest in parts of sub Saharan Africa despite global declines.

Related reading

01 · Category

Country Profiles30 stats

01
United States MMR was 23.8 per 100,000 live births in 2021, highest in high-income countries
02
United Kingdom MMR 13.4 per 100,000 maternities in 2018-2020 triennium
03
India MMR declined to 97 per 100,000 live births by 2018-20
04
Nigeria MMR estimated at 814 per 100,000 live births in 2020
05
Brazil MMR 59.7 per 100,000 live births in 2019
06
Afghanistan MMR 620 per 100,000 live births in 2017
07
Sierra Leone MMR 1,120 per 100,000 live births highest globally 2017
08
Italy MMR 1.9 per 100,000 live births in 2020, among lowest
09
Ethiopia MMR dropped from 871 to 267 per 100,000 live births 2000-2020
10
Canada MMR 8.2 per 100,000 live births in 2018-2020
11
Pakistan MMR 186 per 100,000 live births in 2020
12
South Africa MMR 119 per 100,000 live births in 2019-2021
13
Japan MMR 4 per 100,000 live births in 2020
14
Democratic Republic of Congo MMR 473 per 100,000 live births 2020
15
Australia MMR 5.5 per 100,000 live births 2018-2020
16
Bangladesh MMR 173 per 100,000 live births in 2016, declined further
17
Germany MMR 3.8 per 100,000 live births 2019
18
South Sudan MMR 1,150 per 100,000 live births 2020 estimate
19
France MMR 8.7 per 100,000 live births 2020
20
Kenya MMR 342 per 100,000 live births 2020
21
Sweden MMR 4.5 per 100,000 live births 2018-2020
22
Indonesia MMR 189 per 100,000 live births 2020
23
Poland MMR 2.1 per 100,000 live births 2020
24
Ghana MMR 263 per 100,000 live births 2020
25
Spain MMR 3.2 per 100,000 live births 2021
26
Tanzania MMR 556 per 100,000 live births 2020
27
Norway MMR 1.8 per 100,000 live births 2018-2020 low
28
Uganda MMR 336 per 100,000 live births 2020
29
Netherlands MMR 5.3 per 100,000 live births 2020
30
Yemen MMR 164 per 100,000 live births amid conflict 2020
Interpretation

Country Profiles Interpretation

The vast and unjustifiable chasm between a Norwegian mother and a South Sudanese mother underscores that while geography may dictate our birth, it should never determine our death.

02 · Category

Disparities and Risk Factors30 stats

01
Black women in US have MMR 55.3 per 100,000 vs 22.3 White 2018-2020
02
Age >35 years increases MMR risk 5-fold globally
03
Rural women MMR 1.5 times urban in low-income countries
04
Postpartum hemorrhage causes 27% of maternal deaths globally
05
Hypertensive disorders account for 14% of global MMR
06
Sepsis contributes 11% to maternal deaths worldwide
07
Indigenous women MMR 2-3 times higher in high-income countries
08
Obesity triples MMR risk in pregnancy
09
HIV-positive women MMR 10 times higher without ART
10
Poor women MMR 3 times richer in LMICs
11
Adolescent girls (15-19) MMR twice that of 20-24 year olds
12
No antenatal care increases MMR risk 2-fold globally
13
Cesarean section complications 20 times riskier in low vs high-income
14
Uneducated women MMR 2.5 times higher than educated
15
Abortion-related deaths 8% of MMR in restricted access countries
16
Migrant women MMR 2 times nationals in Europe
17
Preeclampsia/eclampsia 10-14% MMR cause, higher in Black women
18
Distance to facility >2 hours triples MMR risk in rural areas
19
Anemia increases MMR risk 20-30% in pregnancy
20
Domestic violence linked to 10% indirect MMR globally
21
Uninsured US women MMR 30% higher
22
Multiple gestation doubles MMR risk
23
Diabetes in pregnancy raises MMR 4-fold
24
Refugee women MMR 5 times host populations
25
Cardiovascular disease now top indirect MMR cause 13% in high-income
26
Low BMI <18.5 increases MMR 1.8 times
27
Ethnic minorities MMR 1.5-4 times majority in OECD countries
28
Embolism 13% MMR in high-income countries
29
Mental health disorders contribute 20% indirect MMR post-partum
30
Infection prevention gaps cause 50% MMR in fragile states
Interpretation

Disparities and Risk Factors Interpretation

The grim recipe book for maternal mortality is written in the ink of inequity, where a woman's zip code, wallet, and skin color become the main ingredients for preventable tragedy.

03 · Category

Global Overview30 stats

01
The global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in 2020 stood at 223 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, reflecting a decline from previous years but still far from SDG targets
02
An estimated 287,000 women died from preventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth in 2020 worldwide
03
Between 2000 and 2020, global MMR dropped by 34%, from 339 to 223 deaths per 100,000 live births
04
In 2017, the global lifetime risk of maternal death was 1 in 190 for women
05
Sub-Saharan Africa accounted for 70% of global maternal deaths in 2020, contributing to the worldwide MMR
06
Global maternal mortality averted an estimated 7.9 million deaths between 2000 and 2017 due to interventions
07
The global MMR for adolescents aged 10-14 was 231 per 100,000 live births in recent estimates
08
In 2023 estimates, 260,000 maternal deaths occurred globally in 2020, adjusted for underreporting
09
Global progress stalled with MMR at 211 per 100,000 live births by 2017
10
HIV-related maternal deaths contributed 2% to global MMR in 2020
11
Global MMR inequality persists with a 100-fold difference between countries
12
An annual reduction rate of 2.9% needed for SDG but only 2.2% achieved globally 2000-2020
13
94% of maternal deaths occur in low and lower-middle income countries globally
14
Global maternal deaths total 800 per day equivalent in 2020
15
Sustainable Development Goal 3.1 aims for global MMR below 70 by 2030
16
Global MMR for women over 40 is 5 times higher than for those 20-24
17
295,000 maternal deaths estimated globally in 2017
18
Global MMR declined 38% from 1990-2015 but slowed post-2015
19
82% of countries reported MMR data contributing to global estimates in 2020
20
Global under-5 child mortality linked to maternal MMR at 11 million annual deaths
21
MMR contributes to 11% of all female deaths aged 15-49 globally
22
Global safe motherhood initiative reduced MMR by 45% since 1990
23
50 million women suffer morbidity related to MMR globally yearly
24
Global MMR target for 2030 requires averting 3.5 million deaths
25
Emigration of health workers impacts global MMR by 10-20% in source countries
26
Climate change projected to increase global MMR by 10% by 2030
27
Global MMR for rural women 50% higher than urban
28
Pandemic increased global MMR by 25% in 2020 estimates
29
Global MMR data quality improved with 85% civil registration coverage
30
Universal health coverage could reduce global MMR by 66,000 annually
Interpretation

Global Overview Interpretation

Despite a heartening 34% drop since 2000, the persistent, preventable tragedy of 800 mothers dying daily—disproportionately in Sub-Saharan Africa and fueled by inequality, climate change, and pandemics—reveals a global failure of compassion and action, leaving us falling woefully short of our own life-saving targets.

More related reading

05 · Category

Regional Breakdowns27 stats

01
Africa has MMR of 520 per 100,000 live births in 2020, highest regional rate
02
Eastern Mediterranean region MMR at 244 per 100,000 live births in 2020
03
Europe regional MMR lowest at 13 per 100,000 live births in 2020
04
South-East Asia MMR of 145 per 100,000 live births in 2020
05
Western Pacific region MMR at 75 per 100,000 live births in 2020
06
Americas regional MMR averaged 92 per 100,000 live births in 2020
07
Sub-Saharan Africa MMR unchanged at 543 per 100,000 from 2015-2020
08
Central Asia MMR 50 per 100,000 live births, lower than South Asia's 152 in 2020
09
Latin America and Caribbean MMR rose to 95 per 100,000 in 2018-2020
10
Middle East and North Africa MMR at 200 per 100,000 live births circa 2020
11
East Asia MMR dropped to 20 per 100,000 live births by 2020
12
Southern Africa MMR 200 per 100,000 vs Western Africa's 630 in 2020
13
Pacific Islands MMR estimated 180 per 100,000 live births in 2020
14
Caucasus and Central Asia MMR 40 per 100,000 in 2020 WHO data
15
North Africa MMR 110 per 100,000 live births, lower than sub-Saharan
16
Caribbean subregion MMR 150 per 100,000 live births in 2020
17
South Asia MMR declined 60% to 113 per 100,000 from 2000-2020
18
Eastern Europe MMR 20 per 100,000 live births in 2020
19
West Africa MMR highest at 800 per 100,000 live births regionally
20
Southeast Asia excluding India MMR 80 per 100,000 in 2020
21
Andean region MMR 130 per 100,000 live births in 2020
22
Central America MMR 100 per 100,000 live births circa 2020
23
Horn of Africa MMR over 700 per 100,000 live births in 2020
24
Baltic states MMR 15 per 100,000 live births low in Europe
25
Sahel region MMR 1,000 per 100,000 live births extreme high
26
Mesoamerica MMR 90 per 100,000 live births in 2020
27
Polynesia MMR 100 per 100,000 live births estimated 2020
Interpretation

Regional Breakdowns Interpretation

The stark and shameful geography of these numbers reveals a world where a mother’s chance of survival depends less on biology and more on her postal code.
Reference

Cite This Report

This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.

APA
Helena Kowalczyk. (2026, February 13). Maternal Mortality Rate Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/maternal-mortality-rate-statistics
MLA
Helena Kowalczyk. "Maternal Mortality Rate Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/maternal-mortality-rate-statistics.
Chicago
Helena Kowalczyk. 2026. "Maternal Mortality Rate Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/maternal-mortality-rate-statistics.

Sources & references

53 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level

who.intunicef.orgdata.un.orgthelancet.comworldbank.orgpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.goviris.who.intunfpa.orgaidsinfo.unaids.orggh.bmj.comun.orgdata.who.intsdgs.un.orgnature.comafro.who.intemro.who.inteuro.who.intsearo.who.intwpro.who.intpaho.orgdata.unicef.orgpublications.iadb.orgadb.orgspc.intec.europa.eucdc.govnpeu.ox.ac.ukcensusindia.gov.inistat.itcanada.casamrc.ac.zamhlw.go.jpaihw.gov.audestatis.desantepubliquefrance.frhealth.go.kesocialstyrelsen.sestat.gov.pline.esfhi.nohealth.go.ugrivm.nlmain.mohfw.gov.inncbi.nlm.nih.govdhsprogram.comscielo.brreliefweb.intknbs.or.keajph.aphapublications.orgguttmacher.orgkff.orgunhcr.orgoecd.org