Maternal mortality ratio in India
India: Maternal mortality ratio was 102.65 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
102.65 deaths per 100,000 live births
Change on year
down 11.8%
World rank
68th
of 189 countries
All-time high
646.88 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 1985
All-time low
102.65 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 2020
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Maternal mortality ratio in India, 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
India recorded 102.65 deaths per 100,000 live births for maternal mortality ratio in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
That represents a change of down 11.8% on the previous year and down 42.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in India peaked at 646.88 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985 and was at its lowest, 102.65 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2020.
That places India 68th 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.
Maternal mortality ratio in India, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 646.88 deaths per 100,000 live births | — |
| 1986 | 614.23 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.0% |
| 1987 | 568.49 deaths per 100,000 live births | -7.4% |
| 1988 | 547.1 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.8% |
| 1989 | 536.02 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.0% |
| 1990 | 498.04 deaths per 100,000 live births | -7.1% |
| 1991 | 486.91 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.2% |
| 1992 | 482.33 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 1993 | 481.9 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.1% |
| 1994 | 444.03 deaths per 100,000 live births | -7.9% |
| 1995 | 439.94 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.9% |
| 1996 | 439.49 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.1% |
| 1997 | 436.37 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 403.53 deaths per 100,000 live births | -7.5% |
| 1999 | 398.99 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.1% |
| 2000 | 384.45 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.6% |
| 2001 | 371.27 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.4% |
| 2002 | 329.44 deaths per 100,000 live births | -11.3% |
| 2003 | 315.38 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.3% |
| 2004 | 301.25 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.5% |
| 2005 | 285.73 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.2% |
| 2006 | 248.17 deaths per 100,000 live births | -13.1% |
| 2007 | 233.98 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.7% |
| 2008 | 220.52 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.8% |
| 2009 | 207.1 deaths per 100,000 live births | -6.1% |
| 2010 | 178.68 deaths per 100,000 live births | -13.7% |
| 2011 | 169.9 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.9% |
| 2012 | 161.76 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 154.25 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.6% |
| 2014 | 134.86 deaths per 100,000 live births | -12.6% |
| 2015 | 127.68 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.3% |
| 2016 | 121.17 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.1% |
| 2017 | 118.66 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.1% |
| 2018 | 115.71 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.5% |
| 2019 | 116.39 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 102.65 deaths per 100,000 live births | -11.8% |
India compared with similar countries
- India's 102.65 deaths per 100,000 live births is below the median for lower middle income countries, which is 191.84 deaths per 100,000 live births, 54% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- India's 102.65 deaths per 100,000 live births is above the median for South Asia, which is 81.3 deaths per 100,000 live births, 1.3× the median. (6 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 582.54 deaths per 100,000 live births | 536.02 deaths per 100,000 live births | 646.88 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 451.15 deaths per 100,000 live births | 398.99 deaths per 100,000 live births | 498.04 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 289.73 deaths per 100,000 live births | 207.1 deaths per 100,000 live births | 384.45 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 139.91 deaths per 100,000 live births | 115.71 deaths per 100,000 live births | 178.68 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 102.65 deaths per 100,000 live births | 102.65 deaths per 100,000 live births | 102.65 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near India
- 65 Guyana 111.94 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 66 Dominican Republic 107.35 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 67 North Korea 106.7 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 69 Jamaica 98.88 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 70 Suriname 96.46 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 71 Guatemala 95.5 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
More health data for India
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.12 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4372 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,332 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 44,822 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 38 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.3809 % 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 0.0372 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5922 % 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 India?
- Maternal mortality ratio in India was 102.65 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 India?
- The highest recorded value was 646.88 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in India?
- The lowest recorded value was 102.65 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020.
- How does India rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- India ranks 68th out of 189 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in India?
- Over the last ten years it is down 42.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this India 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.
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About this data
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.