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Maternal mortality ratio in New Zealand

New Zealand: Maternal mortality ratio was 7.03 Deaths per 100 000 live births in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
7.03 Deaths per 100 000 live births
Change on year
down 68.9%
World rank
160th
of 195 countries
All-time high
22.62 Deaths per 100 000 live births
in 2022
All-time low
7.03 Deaths per 100 000 live births
in 2023
Years of data
39
1985–2023

Maternal mortality ratio in New Zealand, 1985–2023

5101520251985200420231985: 19.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births1986: 17.7 Deaths per 100 000 live births1987: 19 Deaths per 100 000 live births1988: 18.6 Deaths per 100 000 live births1989: 17.7 Deaths per 100 000 live births1990: 17.5 Deaths per 100 000 live births1991: 16.4 Deaths per 100 000 live births1992: 14.7 Deaths per 100 000 live births1993: 14 Deaths per 100 000 live births1994: 13 Deaths per 100 000 live births1995: 14 Deaths per 100 000 live births1996: 13.6 Deaths per 100 000 live births1997: 12.8 Deaths per 100 000 live births1998: 11.8 Deaths per 100 000 live births1999: 11.8 Deaths per 100 000 live births2000: 10.7 Deaths per 100 000 live births2001: 10.4 Deaths per 100 000 live births2002: 10.6 Deaths per 100 000 live births2003: 10.9 Deaths per 100 000 live births2004: 10.6 Deaths per 100 000 live births2005: 10.6 Deaths per 100 000 live births2006: 10.2 Deaths per 100 000 live births2007: 10.4 Deaths per 100 000 live births2008: 9.8 Deaths per 100 000 live births2009: 10.1 Deaths per 100 000 live births2010: 9.9 Deaths per 100 000 live births2011: 10.1 Deaths per 100 000 live births2012: 9.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births2013: 8.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births2014: 7.5 Deaths per 100 000 live births2015: 8.1 Deaths per 100 000 live births2016: 7.7 Deaths per 100 000 live births2017: 7.6 Deaths per 100 000 live births2018: 7.5 Deaths per 100 000 live births2019: 7.5 Deaths per 100 000 live births2020: 7.6 Deaths per 100 000 live births2021: 7.6 Deaths per 100 000 live births2022: 22.6 Deaths per 100 000 live births2023: 7 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

In 2023, maternal mortality ratio in New Zealand stood at 7.03 Deaths per 100 000 live births. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.

That represents a change of down 68.9% on the previous year and down 15.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in New Zealand peaked at 22.62 Deaths per 100 000 live births in 2022 and was at its lowest, 7.03 Deaths per 100 000 live births, in 2023.

That places New Zealand 160th 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.

Maternal mortality ratio in New Zealand, year by year

Year Deaths per 100 000 live births Change
1985 19.35 Deaths per 100 000 live births —
1986 17.75 Deaths per 100 000 live births -8.3%
1987 19.01 Deaths per 100 000 live births +7.1%
1988 18.56 Deaths per 100 000 live births -2.3%
1989 17.7 Deaths per 100 000 live births -4.6%
1990 17.54 Deaths per 100 000 live births -0.9%
1991 16.45 Deaths per 100 000 live births -6.2%
1992 14.7 Deaths per 100 000 live births -10.6%
1993 14.04 Deaths per 100 000 live births -4.5%
1994 12.99 Deaths per 100 000 live births -7.5%
1995 14.03 Deaths per 100 000 live births +8.1%
1996 13.59 Deaths per 100 000 live births -3.2%
1997 12.76 Deaths per 100 000 live births -6.1%
1998 11.84 Deaths per 100 000 live births -7.2%
1999 11.79 Deaths per 100 000 live births -0.5%
2000 10.68 Deaths per 100 000 live births -9.4%
2001 10.36 Deaths per 100 000 live births -3.0%
2002 10.6 Deaths per 100 000 live births +2.3%
2003 10.85 Deaths per 100 000 live births +2.4%
2004 10.65 Deaths per 100 000 live births -1.9%
2005 10.59 Deaths per 100 000 live births -0.5%
2006 10.15 Deaths per 100 000 live births -4.2%
2007 10.4 Deaths per 100 000 live births +2.4%
2008 9.82 Deaths per 100 000 live births -5.5%
2009 10.06 Deaths per 100 000 live births +2.4%
2010 9.93 Deaths per 100 000 live births -1.3%
2011 10.07 Deaths per 100 000 live births +1.4%
2012 9.27 Deaths per 100 000 live births -7.9%
2013 8.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births -10.5%
2014 7.45 Deaths per 100 000 live births -10.2%
2015 8.05 Deaths per 100 000 live births +8.0%
2016 7.67 Deaths per 100 000 live births -4.8%
2017 7.55 Deaths per 100 000 live births -1.5%
2018 7.48 Deaths per 100 000 live births -0.9%
2019 7.53 Deaths per 100 000 live births +0.7%
2020 7.59 Deaths per 100 000 live births +0.8%
2021 7.58 Deaths per 100 000 live births -0.1%
2022 22.62 Deaths per 100 000 live births +198.2%
2023 7.03 Deaths per 100 000 live births -68.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 18.47 Deaths per 100 000 live births 17.7 Deaths per 100 000 live births 19.35 Deaths per 100 000 live births 5
1990s 13.97 Deaths per 100 000 live births 11.79 Deaths per 100 000 live births 17.54 Deaths per 100 000 live births 10
2000s 10.42 Deaths per 100 000 live births 9.82 Deaths per 100 000 live births 10.85 Deaths per 100 000 live births 10
2010s 8.33 Deaths per 100 000 live births 7.45 Deaths per 100 000 live births 10.07 Deaths per 100 000 live births 10
2020s 11.2 Deaths per 100 000 live births 7.03 Deaths per 100 000 live births 22.62 Deaths per 100 000 live births 4

Countries ranked near New Zealand

  1. 157 San Marino 7.66 Deaths per 100 000 live births compare
  2. 158 Saudi Arabia 7.36 Deaths per 100 000 live births compare
  3. 159 France 7.3 Deaths per 100 000 live births compare
  4. 161 Albania 6.87 Deaths per 100 000 live births compare
  5. 162 Italy 6.48 Deaths per 100 000 live births compare
  6. 163 Bosnia and Herzegovina 6.17 Deaths per 100 000 live births compare

See the full ranking of 195 places →

More health data for New Zealand

All data for New Zealand →

Frequently asked questions

What is maternal mortality ratio in New Zealand?
Maternal mortality ratio in New Zealand was 7.03 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 New Zealand?
The highest recorded value was 22.62 Deaths per 100 000 live births in 2022.
What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in New Zealand?
The lowest recorded value was 7.03 Deaths per 100 000 live births in 2023.
How does New Zealand rank for maternal mortality ratio?
New Zealand ranks 160th out of 195 countries with data for 2023.
Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in New Zealand?
Over the last ten years it is down 15.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this New Zealand 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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Maternal mortality ratio in New Zealand. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization - Global Health Observatory (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/maternal-mortality-ratio-who-gho/new-zealand/

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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.