Maternal mortality ratio in North Korea
North Korea: Maternal mortality ratio was 106.7 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
106.7 deaths per 100,000 live births
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
66th
of 185 countries
All-time high
188.3 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 2002
All-time low
49.93 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 1993
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Maternal mortality ratio in North Korea, 1985–2020
Source: UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 live births.
Analysis
The most recent figure for maternal mortality ratio in North Korea is 106.7 deaths per 100,000 live births, measured in 2020.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and down 18.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in North Korea peaked at 188.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2002 and was at its lowest, 49.93 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 1993.
North Korea ranks 66th of 185 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Maternal mortality ratio in North Korea, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 115.05 deaths per 100,000 live births | — |
| 1986 | 106.26 deaths per 100,000 live births | -7.6% |
| 1987 | 100.43 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.5% |
| 1988 | 91.61 deaths per 100,000 live births | -8.8% |
| 1989 | 84.68 deaths per 100,000 live births | -7.6% |
| 1990 | 76.14 deaths per 100,000 live births | -10.1% |
| 1991 | 76.51 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 69.6 deaths per 100,000 live births | -9.0% |
| 1993 | 49.93 deaths per 100,000 live births | -28.3% |
| 1994 | 73.38 deaths per 100,000 live births | +47.0% |
| 1995 | 158.36 deaths per 100,000 live births | +115.8% |
| 1996 | 164.72 deaths per 100,000 live births | +4.0% |
| 1997 | 156.01 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.3% |
| 1998 | 164.09 deaths per 100,000 live births | +5.2% |
| 1999 | 174.82 deaths per 100,000 live births | +6.5% |
| 2000 | 185.62 deaths per 100,000 live births | +6.2% |
| 2001 | 172.25 deaths per 100,000 live births | -7.2% |
| 2002 | 188.3 deaths per 100,000 live births | +9.3% |
| 2003 | 123.08 deaths per 100,000 live births | -34.6% |
| 2004 | 130.58 deaths per 100,000 live births | +6.1% |
| 2005 | 121.89 deaths per 100,000 live births | -6.7% |
| 2006 | 130.64 deaths per 100,000 live births | +7.2% |
| 2007 | 137.7 deaths per 100,000 live births | +5.4% |
| 2008 | 139.22 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.1% |
| 2009 | 131.39 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.6% |
| 2010 | 130.23 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 120.12 deaths per 100,000 live births | -7.8% |
| 2012 | 108.17 deaths per 100,000 live births | -10.0% |
| 2013 | 95.9 deaths per 100,000 live births | -11.3% |
| 2014 | 84.64 deaths per 100,000 live births | -11.7% |
| 2015 | 108.37 deaths per 100,000 live births | +28.0% |
| 2016 | 108.76 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 107.65 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.0% |
| 2018 | 107.16 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 106.16 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 106.7 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 99.61 deaths per 100,000 live births | 84.68 deaths per 100,000 live births | 115.05 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 116.36 deaths per 100,000 live births | 49.93 deaths per 100,000 live births | 174.82 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 146.07 deaths per 100,000 live births | 121.89 deaths per 100,000 live births | 188.3 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 107.71 deaths per 100,000 live births | 84.64 deaths per 100,000 live births | 130.23 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 106.7 deaths per 100,000 live births | 106.7 deaths per 100,000 live births | 106.7 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 63 Solomon Islands 122.25 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 64 Guyana 111.94 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 65 Dominican Republic 107.35 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 67 India 102.65 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 68 Jamaica 98.88 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 69 Suriname 96.46 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
More health data for North Korea
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2456 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.16 % change on previous year (2100)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 767 deaths (2100)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,462 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 16, male, interpolated 166,971 (2025)
- Age population, age 18, female, interpolated 159,845 (2025)
- Age population, age 17, male, interpolated 168,398 (2025)
- Age population, age 17, female, interpolated 160,530 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality ratio in North Korea?
- Maternal mortality ratio in North Korea was 106.7 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, according to UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest maternal mortality ratio recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 188.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2002.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.93 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1993.
- How does North Korea rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- North Korea ranks 66th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is down 18.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of Maternal mortality ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 36 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The estimated maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.