China vs South Africa: Number of maternal deaths
China
1,446 Deaths
in 2023
South Africa
1,395 Deaths
in 2023
China rank
34th
South Africa rank
35th
Number of maternal deaths over time
- China
- South Africa
How they compare
China currently reports 1,446 Deaths against 1,395 Deaths in South Africa, a difference of 51 Deaths.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 39 shared years of data; in 1985 it was China ahead.
China ranks 34th and South Africa ranks 35th of 195 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 29,916 Deaths | 2,343 Deaths | 27,573 Deaths | China |
| 1990s | 15,556 Deaths | 1,675 Deaths | 13,880 Deaths | China |
| 2000s | 7,469 Deaths | 2,714 Deaths | 4,755 Deaths | China |
| 2010s | 4,855 Deaths | 1,927 Deaths | 2,928 Deaths | China |
| 2020s | 1,928 Deaths | 1,652 Deaths | 276.64 Deaths | China |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher number of maternal deaths, China or South Africa?
- China, at 1,446 Deaths against 1,395 Deaths in South Africa as of 2023.
- What is the difference in number of maternal deaths between China and South Africa?
- 51 Deaths, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and South Africa?
- 39 years are reported by both, from 1985 to 2023.
- How do China and South Africa rank globally for number of maternal deaths?
- China ranks 34th and South Africa ranks 35th 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 Number of maternal deaths. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Estimated annual number of women who die from maternal conditions.