Maternal mortality ratio in Jamaica
Jamaica: Maternal mortality ratio was 98.88 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▲ Rising
Latest (2020)
98.88 deaths per 100,000 live births
Change on year
up 6.3%
World rank
69th
of 189 countries
All-time high
101.46 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 2017
All-time low
41.83 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 1987
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Maternal mortality ratio in Jamaica, 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
Jamaica recorded 98.88 deaths per 100,000 live births for maternal mortality ratio in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.3% on the previous year and up 12.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in Jamaica peaked at 101.46 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017 and was at its lowest, 41.83 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 1987.
Jamaica ranks 69th of 189 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.
Maternal mortality ratio in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 45.12 deaths per 100,000 live births | — |
| 1986 | 45.39 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 41.83 deaths per 100,000 live births | -7.8% |
| 1988 | 43.33 deaths per 100,000 live births | +3.6% |
| 1989 | 42.84 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.1% |
| 1990 | 42.97 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.3% |
| 1991 | 46.64 deaths per 100,000 live births | +8.5% |
| 1992 | 51.07 deaths per 100,000 live births | +9.5% |
| 1993 | 58.15 deaths per 100,000 live births | +13.9% |
| 1994 | 64.1 deaths per 100,000 live births | +10.2% |
| 1995 | 69.83 deaths per 100,000 live births | +8.9% |
| 1996 | 70.15 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.5% |
| 1997 | 75.78 deaths per 100,000 live births | +8.0% |
| 1998 | 81.36 deaths per 100,000 live births | +7.4% |
| 1999 | 81.22 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.2% |
| 2000 | 83.01 deaths per 100,000 live births | +2.2% |
| 2001 | 86.75 deaths per 100,000 live births | +4.5% |
| 2002 | 86.5 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.3% |
| 2003 | 86.09 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 81.77 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.0% |
| 2005 | 86.16 deaths per 100,000 live births | +5.4% |
| 2006 | 94.2 deaths per 100,000 live births | +9.3% |
| 2007 | 91.7 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.7% |
| 2008 | 96.15 deaths per 100,000 live births | +4.8% |
| 2009 | 94.74 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 87.71 deaths per 100,000 live births | -7.4% |
| 2011 | 79.78 deaths per 100,000 live births | -9.0% |
| 2012 | 82.58 deaths per 100,000 live births | +3.5% |
| 2013 | 90.04 deaths per 100,000 live births | +9.0% |
| 2014 | 101 deaths per 100,000 live births | +12.2% |
| 2015 | 96.97 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.0% |
| 2016 | 98.24 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 101.46 deaths per 100,000 live births | +3.3% |
| 2018 | 90.51 deaths per 100,000 live births | -10.8% |
| 2019 | 93.05 deaths per 100,000 live births | +2.8% |
| 2020 | 98.88 deaths per 100,000 live births | +6.3% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 98.88 deaths per 100,000 live births is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 51.11 deaths per 100,000 live births, 1.9× the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 98.88 deaths per 100,000 live births is above the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 71.12 deaths per 100,000 live births, 1.4× the median. (33 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 43.7 deaths per 100,000 live births | 41.83 deaths per 100,000 live births | 45.39 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 64.13 deaths per 100,000 live births | 42.97 deaths per 100,000 live births | 81.36 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 88.71 deaths per 100,000 live births | 81.77 deaths per 100,000 live births | 96.15 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 92.13 deaths per 100,000 live births | 79.78 deaths per 100,000 live births | 101.46 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 98.88 deaths per 100,000 live births | 98.88 deaths per 100,000 live births | 98.88 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
- 66 Dominican Republic 107.35 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 67 North Korea 106.7 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 68 India 102.65 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
- 72 Vanuatu 94.44 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
More health data for Jamaica
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -3.12 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.3325 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 2,308 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 31 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -1.64 % 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 0.0278 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -1.6 % 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 Jamaica?
- Maternal mortality ratio in Jamaica was 98.88 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 Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 101.46 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2017.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 41.83 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987.
- How does Jamaica rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- Jamaica ranks 69th out of 189 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Jamaica 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.