Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births) in OECD members
OECD members: Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births) was 17 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Maternal mortality ratio in OECD members, 1985–2023
Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for maternal mortality ratio in OECD members is 17, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
That represents a change of down 19.0% on the previous year and down 10.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in OECD members peaked at 39 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 17, in 2023.
OECD members ranks 39th of 47 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.
Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births) in OECD members, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 39 | — |
| 1986 | 36 | -7.7% |
| 1987 | 35 | -2.8% |
| 1988 | 33 | -5.7% |
| 1989 | 32 | -3.0% |
| 1990 | 31 | -3.1% |
| 1991 | 30 | -3.2% |
| 1992 | 29 | -3.3% |
| 1993 | 28 | -3.4% |
| 1994 | 28 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 27 | -3.6% |
| 1996 | 26 | -3.7% |
| 1997 | 25 | -3.8% |
| 1998 | 25 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 25 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 24 | -4.0% |
| 2001 | 24 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 23 | -4.2% |
| 2003 | 23 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 22 | -4.3% |
| 2005 | 21 | -4.5% |
| 2006 | 21 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 20 | -4.8% |
| 2008 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 20 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 19 | -5.0% |
| 2013 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 18 | -5.3% |
| 2016 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 18 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 24 | +33.3% |
| 2021 | 35 | +45.8% |
| 2022 | 21 | -40.0% |
| 2023 | 17 | -19.0% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births) in OECD members 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 | +45.8% | 24 | 35 |
| 2022 | -40.0% | 35 | 21 |
| 2020 | +33.3% | 18 | 24 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 35 | 32 | 39 | 5 |
| 1990s | 27.4 | 25 | 31 | 10 |
| 2000s | 21.8 | 20 | 24 | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.7 | 18 | 20 | 10 |
| 2020s | 24.25 | 17 | 35 | 4 |
Countries ranked near OECD members
More health data for OECD members
- Population ages 05-09, male, per capita 0.0282 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0334 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 05-09, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate -0.2511 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0339 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, annual growth rate 0.2277 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 10-14, female, annual growth rate -0.5618 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality ratio in OECD members?
- Maternal mortality ratio in OECD members was 17 in 2023, according to Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest maternal mortality ratio recorded in OECD members?
- The highest recorded value was 39 in 1985.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in OECD members?
- The lowest recorded value was 17 in 2023.
- How does OECD members rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- OECD members ranks 39th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in OECD members?
- Over the last ten years it is down 10.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this OECD members data come from?
- The figures come from Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births). 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
Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on the proportion of maternal deaths among non-AIDS deaths in women ages 15-49, fertility, birth attendants, and GDP measured using purchasing power parities (PPPs).