Maternal mortality ratio in Australia
Australia: Maternal mortality ratio was 2.94 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling
Maternal mortality ratio in Australia, 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 Australia is 2.94 deaths per 100,000 live births, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 42.2% on the previous year and down 46.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in Australia peaked at 9.35 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1994 and was at its lowest, 2.94 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2020.
Australia ranks 179th of 185 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 8.34 deaths per 100,000 live births | 8.01 deaths per 100,000 live births | 8.71 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 8.25 deaths per 100,000 live births | 7.18 deaths per 100,000 live births | 9.35 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 5.34 deaths per 100,000 live births | 4.57 deaths per 100,000 live births | 6.69 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.33 deaths per 100,000 live births | 4.42 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5.99 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.94 deaths per 100,000 live births | 2.94 deaths per 100,000 live births | 2.94 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 176 Czechia 3.37 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 177 Seychelles 3.33 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 178 North Macedonia 3.04 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 181 Israel 2.84 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 182 Iceland 2.65 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
More health data for Australia
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 906.6 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 215 deaths (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts based on where they occurred 0 deaths (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 deaths (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 178,762 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 168,402 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 173,667 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 163,850 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 166,847 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 158,717 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality ratio in Australia?
- Maternal mortality ratio in Australia was 2.94 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 Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 9.35 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1994.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.94 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020.
- How does Australia rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- Australia ranks 179th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 46.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Australia 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.