Maternal mortality ratio in Laos
Laos: Maternal mortality ratio was 126.06 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
126.06 deaths per 100,000 live births
Change on year
down 17.8%
World rank
61st
of 189 countries
All-time high
877.99 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 1985
All-time low
126.06 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 2020
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Maternal mortality ratio in Laos, 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
Laos recorded 126.06 deaths per 100,000 live births for maternal mortality ratio in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 36 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 17.8% on the previous year and down 55.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in Laos peaked at 877.99 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985 and was at its lowest, 126.06 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2020.
That places Laos 61st 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 Laos, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 877.99 deaths per 100,000 live births | — |
| 1986 | 852.42 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.9% |
| 1987 | 830.69 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.5% |
| 1988 | 796.03 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.2% |
| 1989 | 772.58 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.9% |
| 1990 | 756.59 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.1% |
| 1991 | 727.88 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.8% |
| 1992 | 678.24 deaths per 100,000 live births | -6.8% |
| 1993 | 666.88 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.7% |
| 1994 | 645.87 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.2% |
| 1995 | 640.69 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.8% |
| 1996 | 607.9 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.1% |
| 1997 | 609.13 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.2% |
| 1998 | 584.87 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.0% |
| 1999 | 608.15 deaths per 100,000 live births | +4.0% |
| 2000 | 579.15 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.8% |
| 2001 | 562.23 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.9% |
| 2002 | 529.81 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.8% |
| 2003 | 509.17 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.9% |
| 2004 | 470.94 deaths per 100,000 live births | -7.5% |
| 2005 | 442.2 deaths per 100,000 live births | -6.1% |
| 2006 | 416.53 deaths per 100,000 live births | -5.8% |
| 2007 | 365.5 deaths per 100,000 live births | -12.3% |
| 2008 | 361.15 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 329.57 deaths per 100,000 live births | -8.7% |
| 2010 | 283.59 deaths per 100,000 live births | -14.0% |
| 2011 | 270.7 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.5% |
| 2012 | 245.65 deaths per 100,000 live births | -9.3% |
| 2013 | 234.38 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.6% |
| 2014 | 189.43 deaths per 100,000 live births | -19.2% |
| 2015 | 184.32 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.7% |
| 2016 | 166.67 deaths per 100,000 live births | -9.6% |
| 2017 | 165.54 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 165.27 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 153.34 deaths per 100,000 live births | -7.2% |
| 2020 | 126.06 deaths per 100,000 live births | -17.8% |
Laos compared with similar countries
- Laos's 126.06 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, 66% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Laos's 126.06 deaths per 100,000 live births is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 59.08 deaths per 100,000 live births, 2.1× the median. (27 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 825.94 deaths per 100,000 live births | 772.58 deaths per 100,000 live births | 877.99 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 652.62 deaths per 100,000 live births | 584.87 deaths per 100,000 live births | 756.59 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 456.62 deaths per 100,000 live births | 329.57 deaths per 100,000 live births | 579.15 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 205.89 deaths per 100,000 live births | 153.34 deaths per 100,000 live births | 283.59 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 126.06 deaths per 100,000 live births | 126.06 deaths per 100,000 live births | 126.06 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near Laos
- 58 Belize 129.79 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 59 Mozambique 127.11 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 60 South Africa 126.83 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 62 Tonga 125.64 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 63 Bangladesh 123.03 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 64 Solomon Islands 122.25 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
More health data for Laos
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.76 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.5667 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 1,260 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 317 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 15 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -0.5161 % 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 0.0489 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -0.5055 % 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 Laos?
- Maternal mortality ratio in Laos was 126.06 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 Laos?
- The highest recorded value was 877.99 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Laos?
- The lowest recorded value was 126.06 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020.
- How does Laos rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- Laos ranks 61st out of 189 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in Laos?
- Over the last ten years it is down 55.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Laos 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.