Maternal mortality ratio in Japan
Japan: Maternal mortality ratio was 4.31 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling
Maternal mortality ratio in Japan, 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 Japan is 4.31 deaths per 100,000 live births, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of up 1.6% on the previous year and down 23.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in Japan peaked at 17.42 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985 and was at its lowest, 4.25 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2019.
That places Japan 173rd out of 185 countries with data for 2020, putting it 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 | 14.44 deaths per 100,000 live births | 13.24 deaths per 100,000 live births | 17.42 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 10.81 deaths per 100,000 live births | 9.27 deaths per 100,000 live births | 12.95 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 7.11 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5.88 deaths per 100,000 live births | 8.53 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 5.09 deaths per 100,000 live births | 4.25 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5.66 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.31 deaths per 100,000 live births | 4.31 deaths per 100,000 live births | 4.31 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near Japan
- 170 Slovenia 4.53 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 171 Sweden 4.51 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 172 Germany 4.43 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 174 Netherlands 4.31 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 175 Spain 3.44 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 176 Czechia 3.37 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
More health data for Japan
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,294 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 178 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 633,995 (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 607,213 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 640,318 (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 611,707 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 638,500 (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 608,501 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality ratio in Japan?
- Maternal mortality ratio in Japan was 4.31 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 Japan?
- The highest recorded value was 17.42 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Japan?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.25 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2019.
- How does Japan rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- Japan ranks 173rd out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in Japan?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Japan 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.