Maternal mortality ratio in Spain
Spain: Maternal mortality ratio was 3.44 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
3.44 deaths per 100,000 live births
Change on year
up 8.6%
World rank
175th
of 185 countries
All-time high
6.63 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 1987
All-time low
3.17 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 2019
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Maternal mortality ratio in Spain, 1985–2020
Source: UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 live births.
Analysis
Spain recorded 3.44 deaths per 100,000 live births for maternal mortality ratio in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 8.6% on the previous year and down 12.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in Spain peaked at 6.63 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987 and was at its lowest, 3.17 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2019.
That places Spain 175th 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.
Maternal mortality ratio in Spain, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 5.91 deaths per 100,000 live births | — |
| 1986 | 6.32 deaths per 100,000 live births | +6.9% |
| 1987 | 6.63 deaths per 100,000 live births | +4.9% |
| 1988 | 5.61 deaths per 100,000 live births | -15.4% |
| 1989 | 5.78 deaths per 100,000 live births | +3.2% |
| 1990 | 5.82 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.6% |
| 1991 | 6.04 deaths per 100,000 live births | +3.8% |
| 1992 | 5.82 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.7% |
| 1993 | 5.98 deaths per 100,000 live births | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 6.25 deaths per 100,000 live births | +4.5% |
| 1995 | 6.43 deaths per 100,000 live births | +2.9% |
| 1996 | 6.44 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.1% |
| 1997 | 5.66 deaths per 100,000 live births | -12.0% |
| 1998 | 4.29 deaths per 100,000 live births | -24.3% |
| 1999 | 5.25 deaths per 100,000 live births | +22.6% |
| 2000 | 5.04 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.1% |
| 2001 | 5.01 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.6% |
| 2002 | 4.86 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.9% |
| 2003 | 4.94 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 4.55 deaths per 100,000 live births | -7.9% |
| 2005 | 4.49 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 4.3 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.1% |
| 2007 | 4.16 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.3% |
| 2008 | 4 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.8% |
| 2009 | 4.1 deaths per 100,000 live births | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 3.92 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.4% |
| 2011 | 4.07 deaths per 100,000 live births | +3.9% |
| 2012 | 4.06 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 4.12 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 4.01 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.7% |
| 2015 | 3.88 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 3.83 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 3.97 deaths per 100,000 live births | +3.7% |
| 2018 | 4.05 deaths per 100,000 live births | +2.1% |
| 2019 | 3.17 deaths per 100,000 live births | -21.9% |
| 2020 | 3.44 deaths per 100,000 live births | +8.6% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 3.44 deaths per 100,000 live births is below the median for high income countries, which is 7.63 deaths per 100,000 live births, 45% of the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Spain's 3.44 deaths per 100,000 live births is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7.23 deaths per 100,000 live births, 48% of the median. (48 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 6.05 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5.61 deaths per 100,000 live births | 6.63 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 5.8 deaths per 100,000 live births | 4.29 deaths per 100,000 live births | 6.44 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 4.55 deaths per 100,000 live births | 4 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5.04 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 3.91 deaths per 100,000 live births | 3.17 deaths per 100,000 live births | 4.12 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 3.44 deaths per 100,000 live births | 3.44 deaths per 100,000 live births | 3.44 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near Spain
- 172 Germany 4.43 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 173 Japan 4.31 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 174 Netherlands 4.31 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 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
More health data for Spain
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.82 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.2629 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,290 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 108 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.0396 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, per capita 0.0173 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.0227 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality ratio in Spain?
- Maternal mortality ratio in Spain was 3.44 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 Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 6.63 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.17 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2019.
- How does Spain rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- Spain ranks 175th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 12.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Spain 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.