Maternal mortality ratio in Ireland
Ireland: Maternal mortality ratio was 4.98 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling
Maternal mortality ratio in Ireland, 1985–2020
Source: UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 live births.
Analysis
In 2020, maternal mortality ratio in Ireland stood at 4.98 deaths per 100,000 live births. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 9.8% on the previous year and down 23.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in Ireland peaked at 11.06 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985 and was at its lowest, 4.98 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2020.
Ireland ranks 164th 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 | 10.18 deaths per 100,000 live births | 9.8 deaths per 100,000 live births | 11.06 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 9.75 deaths per 100,000 live births | 8.28 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10.86 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 8.19 deaths per 100,000 live births | 7.03 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10.45 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 6.21 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5.34 deaths per 100,000 live births | 7.42 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.98 deaths per 100,000 live births | 4.98 deaths per 100,000 live births | 4.98 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 161 Austria 5.23 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 162 Estonia 5.18 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 163 Turkmenistan 5.15 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 165 Slovakia 4.82 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 166 Croatia 4.82 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 167 Belgium 4.76 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
More health data for Ireland
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,122 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 20 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 34,474 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 33,483 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 34,837 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 34,019 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 35,434 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 34,705 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality ratio in Ireland?
- Maternal mortality ratio in Ireland was 4.98 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 Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 11.06 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.98 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020.
- How does Ireland rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- Ireland ranks 164th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland 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.