Lifetime risk of maternal death (%) (Trends) in South Asia
South Asia: Lifetime risk of maternal death (%) (Trends) was 0.3% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Lifetime risk of maternal death in South Asia, 1985–2023
Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO). Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for lifetime risk of maternal death in South Asia is 0.3%, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
That represents a change of down 8.9% on the previous year and down 48.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, lifetime risk of maternal death in South Asia peaked at 3.4% in 1985 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 2023.
South Asia ranks 22nd of 47 groups on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Lifetime risk of maternal death (%) (Trends) in South Asia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 3.4% | — |
| 1986 | 3.2% | -5.6% |
| 1987 | 3.0% | -5.9% |
| 1988 | 2.8% | -5.7% |
| 1989 | 2.7% | -5.1% |
| 1990 | 2.5% | -5.3% |
| 1991 | 2.4% | -4.3% |
| 1992 | 2.3% | -5.4% |
| 1993 | 2.2% | -4.3% |
| 1994 | 2.1% | -4.1% |
| 1995 | 2.0% | -4.6% |
| 1996 | 1.9% | -5.2% |
| 1997 | 1.8% | -5.2% |
| 1998 | 1.7% | -5.4% |
| 1999 | 1.6% | -5.8% |
| 2000 | 1.5% | -5.3% |
| 2001 | 1.4% | -6.1% |
| 2002 | 1.3% | -7.8% |
| 2003 | 1.2% | -7.8% |
| 2004 | 1.1% | -8.1% |
| 2005 | 1.0% | -9.3% |
| 2006 | 0.9% | -9.2% |
| 2007 | 0.8% | -8.5% |
| 2008 | 0.8% | -8.5% |
| 2009 | 0.7% | -7.7% |
| 2010 | 0.7% | -8.3% |
| 2011 | 0.6% | -8.3% |
| 2012 | 0.6% | -7.5% |
| 2013 | 0.5% | -8.0% |
| 2014 | 0.5% | -9.2% |
| 2015 | 0.4% | -6.1% |
| 2016 | 0.4% | -7.0% |
| 2017 | 0.4% | -8.1% |
| 2018 | 0.4% | -5.4% |
| 2019 | 0.3% | -6.6% |
| 2020 | 0.3% | -0.8% |
| 2021 | 0.4% | +31.9% |
| 2022 | 0.3% | -33.5% |
| 2023 | 0.3% | -8.9% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Lifetime risk of maternal death (%) (Trends) in South Asia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +31.9% | 0.3% | 0.4% |
| 2022 | -33.5% | 0.4% | 0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 3.0% | 2.7% | 3.4% | 5 |
| 1990s | 2.1% | 1.6% | 2.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 1.1% | 0.7% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 0.5% | 0.3% | 0.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 0.3% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near South Asia
More health data for South Asia
- Population ages 60-64, female, per capita 0.0182 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, male, per capita 0.022 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, annual growth rate 2.48 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 20-24, female, annual growth rate -0.1224 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 15-19, male, per capita 0.0457 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per capita 0.0182 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 55-59, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 60-64, male, annual growth rate 2.26 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is lifetime risk of maternal death in South Asia?
- Lifetime risk of maternal death in South Asia was 0.3% in 2023, according to Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest lifetime risk of maternal death recorded in South Asia?
- The highest recorded value was 3.4% in 1985.
- What is the lowest lifetime risk of maternal death recorded in South Asia?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 2023.
- How does South Asia rank for lifetime risk of maternal death?
- South Asia ranks 22nd out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is lifetime risk of maternal death rising or falling in South Asia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 48.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this South Asia data come from?
- The figures come from Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Lifetime risk of maternal death (%). 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.