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Maternal mortality ratio in South Korea

South Korea: Maternal mortality ratio was 8.12 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2020)
8.12 deaths per 100,000 live births
Change on year
up 27.6%
World rank
149th
of 185 countries
All-time high
39.75 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 1987
All-time low
6.08 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 2016
Years of data
36
1985–2020

Maternal mortality ratio in South Korea, 1985–2020

102030401985200220201985: 39.3 deaths per 100,000 live births1986: 39 deaths per 100,000 live births1987: 39.8 deaths per 100,000 live births1988: 36.5 deaths per 100,000 live births1989: 34 deaths per 100,000 live births1990: 30.8 deaths per 100,000 live births1991: 27.9 deaths per 100,000 live births1992: 25.8 deaths per 100,000 live births1993: 25.5 deaths per 100,000 live births1994: 21.3 deaths per 100,000 live births1995: 20.9 deaths per 100,000 live births1996: 20.8 deaths per 100,000 live births1997: 20 deaths per 100,000 live births1998: 19.6 deaths per 100,000 live births1999: 19.2 deaths per 100,000 live births2000: 15.5 deaths per 100,000 live births2001: 15.5 deaths per 100,000 live births2002: 16.6 deaths per 100,000 live births2003: 13.3 deaths per 100,000 live births2004: 12.8 deaths per 100,000 live births2005: 12.4 deaths per 100,000 live births2006: 11.2 deaths per 100,000 live births2007: 10.1 deaths per 100,000 live births2008: 9.4 deaths per 100,000 live births2009: 8.9 deaths per 100,000 live births2010: 8.2 deaths per 100,000 live births2011: 9.6 deaths per 100,000 live births2012: 9.1 deaths per 100,000 live births2013: 6.9 deaths per 100,000 live births2014: 6.4 deaths per 100,000 live births2015: 6.2 deaths per 100,000 live births2016: 6.1 deaths per 100,000 live births2017: 6.2 deaths per 100,000 live births2018: 6.4 deaths per 100,000 live births2019: 6.4 deaths per 100,000 live births2020: 8.1 deaths per 100,000 live births

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 South Korea stood at 8.12 deaths per 100,000 live births.

The figure is up 27.6% on the previous year and down 1.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in South Korea peaked at 39.75 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987 and was at its lowest, 6.08 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2016.

That places South Korea 149th out of 185 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Maternal mortality ratio in South Korea, year by year

Year deaths per 100,000 live births Change
1985 39.28 deaths per 100,000 live births —
1986 39.03 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.6%
1987 39.75 deaths per 100,000 live births +1.8%
1988 36.52 deaths per 100,000 live births -8.1%
1989 34.03 deaths per 100,000 live births -6.8%
1990 30.79 deaths per 100,000 live births -9.5%
1991 27.9 deaths per 100,000 live births -9.4%
1992 25.81 deaths per 100,000 live births -7.5%
1993 25.51 deaths per 100,000 live births -1.2%
1994 21.35 deaths per 100,000 live births -16.3%
1995 20.91 deaths per 100,000 live births -2.1%
1996 20.8 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.5%
1997 19.97 deaths per 100,000 live births -4.0%
1998 19.64 deaths per 100,000 live births -1.7%
1999 19.16 deaths per 100,000 live births -2.4%
2000 15.54 deaths per 100,000 live births -18.9%
2001 15.49 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.3%
2002 16.55 deaths per 100,000 live births +6.9%
2003 13.26 deaths per 100,000 live births -19.9%
2004 12.77 deaths per 100,000 live births -3.7%
2005 12.41 deaths per 100,000 live births -2.9%
2006 11.18 deaths per 100,000 live births -9.9%
2007 10.1 deaths per 100,000 live births -9.7%
2008 9.41 deaths per 100,000 live births -6.8%
2009 8.9 deaths per 100,000 live births -5.4%
2010 8.24 deaths per 100,000 live births -7.4%
2011 9.6 deaths per 100,000 live births +16.6%
2012 9.12 deaths per 100,000 live births -5.0%
2013 6.95 deaths per 100,000 live births -23.8%
2014 6.43 deaths per 100,000 live births -7.5%
2015 6.2 deaths per 100,000 live births -3.5%
2016 6.08 deaths per 100,000 live births -1.9%
2017 6.18 deaths per 100,000 live births +1.7%
2018 6.41 deaths per 100,000 live births +3.7%
2019 6.36 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.8%
2020 8.12 deaths per 100,000 live births +27.6%

South Korea compared with similar countries

  • South Korea's 8.12 deaths per 100,000 live births is above the median for high income countries, which is 7.63 deaths per 100,000 live births, 1.1× the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • South Korea's 8.12 deaths per 100,000 live births is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 66.7 deaths per 100,000 live births, 12% of the median. (26 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 37.72 deaths per 100,000 live births 34.03 deaths per 100,000 live births 39.75 deaths per 100,000 live births 5
1990s 23.18 deaths per 100,000 live births 19.16 deaths per 100,000 live births 30.79 deaths per 100,000 live births 10
2000s 12.56 deaths per 100,000 live births 8.9 deaths per 100,000 live births 16.55 deaths per 100,000 live births 10
2010s 7.16 deaths per 100,000 live births 6.08 deaths per 100,000 live births 9.6 deaths per 100,000 live births 10
2020s 8.12 deaths per 100,000 live births 8.12 deaths per 100,000 live births 8.12 deaths per 100,000 live births 1

Countries ranked near South Korea

  1. 146 Lithuania 8.66 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  2. 147 Finland 8.34 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  3. 148 Albania 8.28 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  4. 150 France 7.91 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  5. 151 Greece 7.65 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  6. 152 Qatar 7.61 deaths per 100,000 live births compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More health data for South Korea

All data for South Korea →

Frequently asked questions

What is maternal mortality ratio in South Korea?
Maternal mortality ratio in South Korea was 8.12 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 South Korea?
The highest recorded value was 39.75 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987.
What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in South Korea?
The lowest recorded value was 6.08 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2016.
How does South Korea rank for maternal mortality ratio?
South Korea ranks 149th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in South Korea?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this South Korea 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.

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Maternal mortality ratio in South Korea. Statizoid, drawing on UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 23 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/maternal-mortality-slope-chart/korea-rep/

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About this data

Indicator
Maternal mortality ratio
Unit
deaths per 100,000 live births
Source
UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
185 places, 6,660 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

The estimated maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.