Eswatini vs South Africa: Maternal mortality ratio

Eswatini
117.93 Deaths per 100 000 live births
in 2023
South Africa
117.57 Deaths per 100 000 live births
in 2023
Eswatini rank
61st
South Africa rank
62nd

Maternal mortality ratio over time

  • Eswatini
  • South Africa
0200400600800198520042023

How they compare

Eswatini currently reports 117.93 Deaths per 100 000 live births against 117.57 Deaths per 100 000 live births in South Africa, a difference of 0.36 Deaths per 100 000 live births.

The two have swapped places 4 times across 39 shared years of data; in 1985 it was Eswatini ahead.

Eswatini ranks 61st and South Africa ranks 62nd of 195 countries.

Across the 5 decades both report, Eswatini averaged higher in 4 and South Africa in 1.

Head to head by decade

Decade Eswatini South Africa Difference Ahead
1980s 529.31 Deaths per 100 000 live births 192.19 Deaths per 100 000 live births 337.12 Deaths per 100 000 live births Eswatini
1990s 554.88 Deaths per 100 000 live births 149.37 Deaths per 100 000 live births 405.52 Deaths per 100 000 live births Eswatini
2000s 514.99 Deaths per 100 000 live births 244.29 Deaths per 100 000 live births 270.7 Deaths per 100 000 live births Eswatini
2010s 386.62 Deaths per 100 000 live births 163.6 Deaths per 100 000 live births 223.02 Deaths per 100 000 live births Eswatini
2020s 137.76 Deaths per 100 000 live births 139.06 Deaths per 100 000 live births 1.31 Deaths per 100 000 live births South Africa

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher maternal mortality ratio, Eswatini or South Africa?
Eswatini, at 117.93 Deaths per 100 000 live births against 117.57 Deaths per 100 000 live births in South Africa as of 2023.
What is the difference in maternal mortality ratio between Eswatini and South Africa?
0.36 Deaths per 100 000 live births, with Eswatini ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Eswatini and South Africa?
39 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2023.
How do Eswatini and South Africa rank globally for maternal mortality ratio?
Eswatini ranks 61st and South Africa ranks 62nd 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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Eswatini vs South Africa: Maternal mortality ratio. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 03 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/compare/maternal-mortality-ratio-who-gho/eswatini/south-africa/

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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.