What is maternal mortality ratio in China?

Maternal mortality ratio in China was 23.05 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, according to UN MMEIG (2023) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.

What is the highest maternal mortality ratio recorded in China?

The highest recorded value was 114.47 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985.

What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in China?

The lowest recorded value was 20.36 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2018.

How does China rank for maternal mortality ratio?

China ranks 118th out of 189 countries with data for 2020.

Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in China?

Over the last ten years it is down 30.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.

Where does this China data come from?

The figures come from UN MMEIG (2023) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Maternal mortality ratio. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Maternal mortality ratio in China

Name: Maternal mortality ratio in China
Creator: UN MMEIG (2023) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

China: Maternal mortality ratio was 23.05 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)

23.05 deaths per 100,000 live births

Change on year

up 13.0%

World rank

118th

of 189 countries

All-time high

114.47 deaths per 100,000 live births

in 1985

All-time low

20.36 deaths per 100,000 live births

in 2018

Years of data

1985–2020

Maternal mortality ratio in China, 1985–2020

Source: UN MMEIG (2023) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 live births.

Analysis

In 2020, maternal mortality ratio in China stood at 23.05 deaths per 100,000 live births.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 13.0% on the previous year and down 30.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in China peaked at 114.47 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985 and was at its lowest, 20.36 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2018.

That places China 118th out of 189 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 36 years of available data.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1980s	99.14 deaths per 100,000 live births	89.92 deaths per 100,000 live births	114.47 deaths per 100,000 live births	5
1990s	75.66 deaths per 100,000 live births	63.09 deaths per 100,000 live births	89.7 deaths per 100,000 live births	10
2000s	45.9 deaths per 100,000 live births	34.05 deaths per 100,000 live births	58.06 deaths per 100,000 live births	10
2010s	25.99 deaths per 100,000 live births	20.36 deaths per 100,000 live births	33.22 deaths per 100,000 live births	10
2020s	23.05 deaths per 100,000 live births	23.05 deaths per 100,000 live births	23.05 deaths per 100,000 live births	1

Countries ranked near China

115 Georgia 27.61 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
116 Armenia 27.19 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
117 Trinidad and Tobago 26.58 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
119 Iran 22.02 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
120 Costa Rica 22 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
121 Antigua and Barbuda 21.25 deaths per 100,000 live births compare

See the full ranking of 189 places →

More health data for China

Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,029 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
Number of infants who die before age 1 4,642 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 8.74 million (2025)
Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 7.51 million (2025)
Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 8.70 million (2025)
Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 7.46 million (2025)
Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 8.44 million (2025)
Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 7.21 million (2025)

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is maternal mortality ratio in China?: Maternal mortality ratio in China was 23.05 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, according to UN MMEIG (2023) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest maternal mortality ratio recorded in China?: The highest recorded value was 114.47 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985.
What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in China?: The lowest recorded value was 20.36 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2018.
How does China rank for maternal mortality ratio?: China ranks 118th out of 189 countries with data for 2020.
Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in China?: Over the last ten years it is down 30.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this China data come from?: The figures come from UN MMEIG (2023) and other sources – with major processing 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

Indicator: Maternal mortality ratio
Unit: deaths per 100,000 live births
Source: UN MMEIG (2023) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 189 places, 8,868 data points, 1751–2020
Last refreshed: 07 August 2026

The estimated number of women who die from maternal conditions per 100,000 live births, based on data from death certificates, large-scale surveys, and statistical modeling.