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Maternal mortality ratio in United Kingdom

United Kingdom: Maternal mortality ratio was 9.84 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
9.84 deaths per 100,000 live births
Change on year
up 6.7%
World rank
144th
of 185 countries
All-time high
11.48 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 2002
All-time low
8.31 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 2012
Years of data
36
1985–2020

Maternal mortality ratio in United Kingdom, 1985–2020

02.557.51012.51985200220201985: 8.4 deaths per 100,000 live births1986: 8.4 deaths per 100,000 live births1987: 9.6 deaths per 100,000 live births1988: 9.6 deaths per 100,000 live births1989: 9.7 deaths per 100,000 live births1990: 9.5 deaths per 100,000 live births1991: 9.8 deaths per 100,000 live births1992: 8.7 deaths per 100,000 live births1993: 9.1 deaths per 100,000 live births1994: 9.4 deaths per 100,000 live births1995: 9.7 deaths per 100,000 live births1996: 9.8 deaths per 100,000 live births1997: 9.8 deaths per 100,000 live births1998: 9.9 deaths per 100,000 live births1999: 10.4 deaths per 100,000 live births2000: 11 deaths per 100,000 live births2001: 11.1 deaths per 100,000 live births2002: 11.5 deaths per 100,000 live births2003: 11.3 deaths per 100,000 live births2004: 11.1 deaths per 100,000 live births2005: 11 deaths per 100,000 live births2006: 11 deaths per 100,000 live births2007: 10.7 deaths per 100,000 live births2008: 10.5 deaths per 100,000 live births2009: 10.1 deaths per 100,000 live births2010: 9.5 deaths per 100,000 live births2011: 9.1 deaths per 100,000 live births2012: 8.3 deaths per 100,000 live births2013: 8.4 deaths per 100,000 live births2014: 8.5 deaths per 100,000 live births2015: 8.4 deaths per 100,000 live births2016: 8.5 deaths per 100,000 live births2017: 8.5 deaths per 100,000 live births2018: 9.2 deaths per 100,000 live births2019: 9.2 deaths per 100,000 live births2020: 9.8 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

The most recent figure for maternal mortality ratio in United Kingdom is 9.84 deaths per 100,000 live births, measured in 2020.

The figure is up 6.7% on the previous year and up 3.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in United Kingdom peaked at 11.48 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2002 and was at its lowest, 8.31 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2012.

That places United Kingdom 144th out of 185 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the bottom quarter.

Maternal mortality ratio in United Kingdom, year by year

Year deaths per 100,000 live births Change
1985 8.43 deaths per 100,000 live births —
1986 8.4 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.3%
1987 9.58 deaths per 100,000 live births +14.0%
1988 9.59 deaths per 100,000 live births +0.1%
1989 9.68 deaths per 100,000 live births +0.9%
1990 9.53 deaths per 100,000 live births -1.5%
1991 9.81 deaths per 100,000 live births +2.9%
1992 8.69 deaths per 100,000 live births -11.4%
1993 9.1 deaths per 100,000 live births +4.7%
1994 9.37 deaths per 100,000 live births +3.0%
1995 9.73 deaths per 100,000 live births +3.9%
1996 9.75 deaths per 100,000 live births +0.2%
1997 9.81 deaths per 100,000 live births +0.6%
1998 9.94 deaths per 100,000 live births +1.3%
1999 10.39 deaths per 100,000 live births +4.5%
2000 10.98 deaths per 100,000 live births +5.7%
2001 11.09 deaths per 100,000 live births +1.0%
2002 11.48 deaths per 100,000 live births +3.5%
2003 11.34 deaths per 100,000 live births -1.2%
2004 11.06 deaths per 100,000 live births -2.4%
2005 11.05 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.2%
2006 10.96 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.8%
2007 10.65 deaths per 100,000 live births -2.8%
2008 10.52 deaths per 100,000 live births -1.2%
2009 10.1 deaths per 100,000 live births -4.0%
2010 9.53 deaths per 100,000 live births -5.7%
2011 9.05 deaths per 100,000 live births -5.0%
2012 8.31 deaths per 100,000 live births -8.2%
2013 8.36 deaths per 100,000 live births +0.6%
2014 8.46 deaths per 100,000 live births +1.2%
2015 8.39 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.8%
2016 8.51 deaths per 100,000 live births +1.5%
2017 8.52 deaths per 100,000 live births +0.1%
2018 9.21 deaths per 100,000 live births +8.1%
2019 9.22 deaths per 100,000 live births +0.2%
2020 9.84 deaths per 100,000 live births +6.7%

United Kingdom compared with similar countries

  • United Kingdom's 9.84 deaths per 100,000 live births is above the median for high income countries, which is 7.63 deaths per 100,000 live births, 1.3× the median. (58 countries reporting)
  • United Kingdom's 9.84 deaths per 100,000 live births is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7.23 deaths per 100,000 live births, 1.4× the median. (48 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 9.14 deaths per 100,000 live births 8.4 deaths per 100,000 live births 9.68 deaths per 100,000 live births 5
1990s 9.61 deaths per 100,000 live births 8.69 deaths per 100,000 live births 10.39 deaths per 100,000 live births 10
2000s 10.92 deaths per 100,000 live births 10.1 deaths per 100,000 live births 11.48 deaths per 100,000 live births 10
2010s 8.76 deaths per 100,000 live births 8.31 deaths per 100,000 live births 9.53 deaths per 100,000 live births 10
2020s 9.84 deaths per 100,000 live births 9.84 deaths per 100,000 live births 9.84 deaths per 100,000 live births 1

Countries ranked near United Kingdom

  1. 141 Canada 11.01 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  2. 142 Serbia 10.18 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  3. 143 Romania 10.07 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  4. 145 United Arab Emirates 9.34 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  5. 146 Lithuania 8.66 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  6. 147 Finland 8.34 deaths per 100,000 live births compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More health data for United Kingdom

All data for United Kingdom →

Frequently asked questions

What is maternal mortality ratio in United Kingdom?
Maternal mortality ratio in United Kingdom was 9.84 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 United Kingdom?
The highest recorded value was 11.48 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2002.
What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in United Kingdom?
The lowest recorded value was 8.31 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2012.
How does United Kingdom rank for maternal mortality ratio?
United Kingdom ranks 144th out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in United Kingdom?
Over the last ten years it is up 3.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this United Kingdom 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 United Kingdom. Statizoid, drawing on UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 24 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/maternal-mortality-slope-chart/united-kingdom/

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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.