China vs United States of America: Maternal mortality ratio

China
16.25 Deaths per 100 000 live births
in 2023
United States of America
16.63 Deaths per 100 000 live births
in 2023
China rank
131st
United States of America rank
130th

Maternal mortality ratio over time

  • China
  • United States of America
0255075100125198520042023

How they compare

United States of America currently reports 16.63 Deaths per 100 000 live births against 16.25 Deaths per 100 000 live births in China, a difference of 0.38 Deaths per 100 000 live births.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 39 shared years of data; in 1985 it was China ahead.

China ranks 131st and United States of America ranks 130th of 195 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, China averaged higher in 4 and United States of America in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade China United States of America Difference Ahead
1980s 114.1 Deaths per 100 000 live births 11.42 Deaths per 100 000 live births 102.68 Deaths per 100 000 live births China
1990s 75.5 Deaths per 100 000 live births 11.47 Deaths per 100 000 live births 64.02 Deaths per 100 000 live births China
2000s 44.13 Deaths per 100 000 live births 13.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births 30.83 Deaths per 100 000 live births China
2010s 27.34 Deaths per 100 000 live births 16.59 Deaths per 100 000 live births 10.75 Deaths per 100 000 live births China
2020s 18.83 Deaths per 100 000 live births 22.59 Deaths per 100 000 live births 3.76 Deaths per 100 000 live births United States of America

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher maternal mortality ratio, China or United States of America?
United States of America, at 16.63 Deaths per 100 000 live births against 16.25 Deaths per 100 000 live births in China as of 2023.
What is the difference in maternal mortality ratio between China and United States of America?
0.38 Deaths per 100 000 live births, with United States of America ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States of America?
39 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2023.
How do China and United States of America rank globally for maternal mortality ratio?
China ranks 131st and United States of America ranks 130th of 195 countries.
Where does this data come from?
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Maternal mortality ratio. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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China vs United States of America: Maternal mortality ratio. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/maternal-mortality-ratio-who-gho/china/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Maternal mortality ratio
Unit
Deaths per 100 000 live births
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
195 places, 7,605 data points, 1985–2023
Last refreshed

Estimated number of women who die from maternal conditions per 100,000 live births.