Maternal mortality ratio in France

France: Maternal mortality ratio was 7.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
7.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births
Change on year
down 16.1%
World rank
159th
of 195 countries
All-time high
20.2 Deaths per 100 000 live births
in 1985
All-time low
7.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births
in 2023
Years of data
39
1985–2023

Maternal mortality ratio in France, 1985–2023

051015201985200420231985: 20.2 Deaths per 100 000 live births1986: 19.8 Deaths per 100 000 live births1987: 18.9 Deaths per 100 000 live births1988: 18.8 Deaths per 100 000 live births1989: 18.6 Deaths per 100 000 live births1990: 17.7 Deaths per 100 000 live births1991: 17.7 Deaths per 100 000 live births1992: 17.2 Deaths per 100 000 live births1993: 16.5 Deaths per 100 000 live births1994: 15.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births1995: 14.7 Deaths per 100 000 live births1996: 13.1 Deaths per 100 000 live births1997: 11.4 Deaths per 100 000 live births1998: 10.5 Deaths per 100 000 live births1999: 9.9 Deaths per 100 000 live births2000: 9.4 Deaths per 100 000 live births2001: 9.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births2002: 9.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births2003: 9.2 Deaths per 100 000 live births2004: 9.1 Deaths per 100 000 live births2005: 9.2 Deaths per 100 000 live births2006: 9.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births2007: 9.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births2008: 9.6 Deaths per 100 000 live births2009: 9.7 Deaths per 100 000 live births2010: 9.4 Deaths per 100 000 live births2011: 9.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births2012: 9.1 Deaths per 100 000 live births2013: 8.9 Deaths per 100 000 live births2014: 8.8 Deaths per 100 000 live births2015: 8.8 Deaths per 100 000 live births2016: 8.8 Deaths per 100 000 live births2017: 8.5 Deaths per 100 000 live births2018: 8.6 Deaths per 100 000 live births2019: 8.4 Deaths per 100 000 live births2020: 8.9 Deaths per 100 000 live births2021: 8.8 Deaths per 100 000 live births2022: 8.7 Deaths per 100 000 live births2023: 7.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births

Source: World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in Deaths per 100 000 live births.

Analysis

The most recent figure for maternal mortality ratio in France is 7.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births, measured in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.

That represents a change of down 16.1% on the previous year and down 17.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in France peaked at 20.2 Deaths per 100 000 live births in 1985 and was at its lowest, 7.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births, in 2023.

That places France 159th out of 195 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 19.27 Deaths per 100 000 live births 18.63 Deaths per 100 000 live births 20.2 Deaths per 100 000 live births 5
1990s 14.41 Deaths per 100 000 live births 9.94 Deaths per 100 000 live births 17.74 Deaths per 100 000 live births 10
2000s 9.34 Deaths per 100 000 live births 9.08 Deaths per 100 000 live births 9.73 Deaths per 100 000 live births 10
2010s 8.84 Deaths per 100 000 live births 8.36 Deaths per 100 000 live births 9.43 Deaths per 100 000 live births 10
2020s 8.42 Deaths per 100 000 live births 7.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births 8.89 Deaths per 100 000 live births 4

Countries ranked near France

  1. 156 Lithuania 7.67 Deaths per 100 000 live births compare
  2. 157 San Marino 7.66 Deaths per 100 000 live births compare
  3. 158 Saudi Arabia 7.36 Deaths per 100 000 live births compare
  4. 160 New Zealand 7.03 Deaths per 100 000 live births compare
  5. 161 Albania 6.87 Deaths per 100 000 live births compare
  6. 162 Italy 6.48 Deaths per 100 000 live births compare

See the full ranking of 195 places →

More health data for France

All data for France →

Frequently asked questions

What is maternal mortality ratio in France?
Maternal mortality ratio in France was 7.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births in 2023, according to World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest maternal mortality ratio recorded in France?
The highest recorded value was 20.2 Deaths per 100 000 live births in 1985.
What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in France?
The lowest recorded value was 7.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births in 2023.
How does France rank for maternal mortality ratio?
France ranks 159th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in France?
Over the last ten years it is down 17.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this France data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Maternal mortality ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Maternal mortality ratio
Unit
Deaths per 100 000 live births
Source
World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
195 places, 7,605 data points, 1985–2023
Last refreshed

Estimated number of women who die from maternal conditions per 100,000 live births.