Lifetime risk of maternal death (1 in: rate varies by country) in United States
United States: Lifetime risk of maternal death (1 in: rate varies by country) was 4,161 1 in: rate varies by country in 2023. ▼ Falling
Lifetime risk of maternal death in United States, 1985–2023
Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in 1 in: rate varies by country.
Analysis
United States recorded 4,161 1 in: rate varies by country for lifetime risk of maternal death in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 23.9% on the previous year and up 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lifetime risk of maternal death in United States peaked at 5,343 1 in: rate varies by country in 1997 and was at its lowest, 2,196 1 in: rate varies by country, in 2021.
That places United States 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.
Lifetime risk of maternal death (1 in: rate varies by country) in United States, year by year
| Year | 1 in: rate varies by country | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 4,743 1 in: rate varies by country | — |
| 1986 | 4,713 1 in: rate varies by country | -0.6% |
| 1987 | 4,609 1 in: rate varies by country | -2.2% |
| 1988 | 4,444 1 in: rate varies by country | -3.6% |
| 1989 | 4,313 1 in: rate varies by country | -2.9% |
| 1990 | 4,274 1 in: rate varies by country | -0.9% |
| 1991 | 4,371 1 in: rate varies by country | +2.3% |
| 1992 | 4,625 1 in: rate varies by country | +5.8% |
| 1993 | 4,717 1 in: rate varies by country | +2.0% |
| 1994 | 4,879 1 in: rate varies by country | +3.4% |
| 1995 | 4,982 1 in: rate varies by country | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 5,161 1 in: rate varies by country | +3.6% |
| 1997 | 5,343 1 in: rate varies by country | +3.5% |
| 1998 | 5,303 1 in: rate varies by country | -0.7% |
| 1999 | 5,077 1 in: rate varies by country | -4.3% |
| 2000 | 4,842 1 in: rate varies by country | -4.6% |
| 2001 | 4,694 1 in: rate varies by country | -3.1% |
| 2002 | 4,614 1 in: rate varies by country | -1.7% |
| 2003 | 4,456 1 in: rate varies by country | -3.4% |
| 2004 | 4,484 1 in: rate varies by country | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 4,425 1 in: rate varies by country | -1.3% |
| 2006 | 4,283 1 in: rate varies by country | -3.2% |
| 2007 | 4,248 1 in: rate varies by country | -0.8% |
| 2008 | 4,206 1 in: rate varies by country | -1.0% |
| 2009 | 4,097 1 in: rate varies by country | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 4,223 1 in: rate varies by country | +3.1% |
| 2011 | 4,061 1 in: rate varies by country | -3.8% |
| 2012 | 3,980 1 in: rate varies by country | -2.0% |
| 2013 | 3,902 1 in: rate varies by country | -2.0% |
| 2014 | 3,747 1 in: rate varies by country | -4.0% |
| 2015 | 3,651 1 in: rate varies by country | -2.6% |
| 2016 | 3,531 1 in: rate varies by country | -3.3% |
| 2017 | 3,602 1 in: rate varies by country | +2.0% |
| 2018 | 3,729 1 in: rate varies by country | +3.5% |
| 2019 | 3,792 1 in: rate varies by country | +1.7% |
| 2020 | 3,076 1 in: rate varies by country | -18.9% |
| 2021 | 2,196 1 in: rate varies by country | -28.6% |
| 2022 | 3,359 1 in: rate varies by country | +53.0% |
| 2023 | 4,161 1 in: rate varies by country | +23.9% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 4,161 1 in: rate varies by country is below the median for high income countries, which is 10,964 1 in: rate varies by country, 38% of the median. (64 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Lifetime risk of maternal death (1 in: rate varies by country) in United States changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | +53.0% | 2,196 1 in: rate varies by country | 3,359 1 in: rate varies by country |
| 2021 | -28.6% | 3,076 1 in: rate varies by country | 2,196 1 in: rate varies by country |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 4,564 1 in: rate varies by country | 4,313 1 in: rate varies by country | 4,743 1 in: rate varies by country | 5 |
| 1990s | 4,873 1 in: rate varies by country | 4,274 1 in: rate varies by country | 5,343 1 in: rate varies by country | 10 |
| 2000s | 4,435 1 in: rate varies by country | 4,097 1 in: rate varies by country | 4,842 1 in: rate varies by country | 10 |
| 2010s | 3,822 1 in: rate varies by country | 3,531 1 in: rate varies by country | 4,223 1 in: rate varies by country | 10 |
| 2020s | 3,198 1 in: rate varies by country | 2,196 1 in: rate varies by country | 4,161 1 in: rate varies by country | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 58 Latvia 4,958 1 in: rate varies by country compare
- 59 Turkey 4,620 1 in: rate varies by country compare
- 60 Iran 4,179 1 in: rate varies by country compare
- 62 Kazakhstan 3,955 1 in: rate varies by country compare
- 63 Azerbaijan 3,910 1 in: rate varies by country compare
- 64 Moldova 3,829 1 in: rate varies by country compare
More health data for United States
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.67 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.1867 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 4,015 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2023)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.056 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0261 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.1919 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0274 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lifetime risk of maternal death in United States?
- Lifetime risk of maternal death in United States was 4,161 1 in: rate varies by country in 2023, according to Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest lifetime risk of maternal death recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 5,343 1 in: rate varies by country in 1997.
- What is the lowest lifetime risk of maternal death recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 2,196 1 in: rate varies by country in 2021.
- How does United States rank for lifetime risk of maternal death?
- United States ranks 61st out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is lifetime risk of maternal death rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Lifetime risk of maternal death (1 in: rate varies by country). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Life time risk of maternal death is the probability that a 15-year-old female will die eventually from a maternal cause assuming that current levels of fertility and mortality (including maternal mortality) do not change in the future, taking into account competing causes of death.