Maternal mortality in Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka: Maternal mortality was 28.84 in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2020)
28.84
Change on year
down 3.3%
World rank
113th
of 189 countries
All-time high
2,680
in 1935
All-time low
28.84
in 2020
Years of data
121
1900–2020
Maternal mortality in Sri Lanka, 1900–2020
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
In 2020, maternal mortality in Sri Lanka stood at 28.84. That is the lowest value across all 121 years on record.
That represents a change of down 3.3% on the previous year and down 22.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality in Sri Lanka peaked at 2,680 in 1935 and was at its lowest, 28.84, in 2020.
Sri Lanka ranks 113th of 189 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Maternal mortality in Sri Lanka, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1900 | 1,721 | — |
| 1901 | 1,540 | -10.5% |
| 1902 | 1,627 | +5.6% |
| 1903 | 1,454 | -10.7% |
| 1904 | 1,391 | -4.3% |
| 1905 | 1,484 | +6.7% |
| 1906 | 1,686 | +13.6% |
| 1907 | 1,496 | -11.3% |
| 1908 | 1,534 | +2.5% |
| 1909 | 1,378 | -10.2% |
| 1910 | 903.82 | -34.4% |
| 1911 | 2,327 | +157.5% |
| 1912 | 2,331 | +0.2% |
| 1913 | 2,029 | -13.0% |
| 1914 | 2,494 | +22.9% |
| 1915 | 2,330 | -6.6% |
| 1916 | 2,298 | -1.4% |
| 1917 | 2,045 | -11.0% |
| 1918 | 2,187 | +6.9% |
| 1919 | 2,270 | +3.8% |
| 1920 | 1,767 | -22.2% |
| 1921 | 2,100 | +18.8% |
| 1922 | 2,029 | -3.4% |
| 1923 | 2,156 | +6.2% |
| 1924 | 1,910 | -11.4% |
| 1925 | 1,850 | -3.1% |
| 1926 | 1,910 | +3.2% |
| 1927 | 1,750 | -8.4% |
| 1928 | 1,918 | +9.6% |
| 1929 | 2,036 | +6.1% |
| 1930 | 2,136 | +4.9% |
| 1931 | 2,080 | -2.6% |
| 1932 | 1,917 | -7.8% |
| 1933 | 1,857 | -3.1% |
| 1934 | 2,012 | +8.3% |
| 1935 | 2,680 | +33.2% |
| 1936 | 2,165 | -19.2% |
| 1937 | 1,992 | -8.0% |
| 1938 | 2,013 | +1.1% |
| 1939 | 1,824 | -9.4% |
| 1940 | 1,607 | -11.9% |
| 1941 | 1,532 | -4.7% |
| 1942 | 1,445 | -5.7% |
| 1943 | 1,335 | -7.6% |
| 1944 | 1,365 | +2.3% |
| 1945 | 1,694 | +24.1% |
| 1946 | 1,552 | -8.4% |
| 1947 | 1,056 | -32.0% |
| 1948 | 826.22 | -21.7% |
| 1949 | 654.55 | -20.8% |
| 1950 | 555.42 | -15.1% |
| 1951 | 577.05 | +3.9% |
| 1952 | 579.85 | +0.5% |
| 1953 | 485.03 | -16.4% |
| 1954 | 456.74 | -5.8% |
| 1955 | 422.75 | -7.4% |
| 1956 | 386.98 | -8.5% |
| 1957 | 378.32 | -2.2% |
| 1958 | 381.61 | +0.9% |
| 1959 | 347.29 | -9.0% |
| 1960 | 311.68 | -10.3% |
| 1961 | 269.53 | -13.5% |
| 1962 | 308.09 | +14.3% |
| 1963 | 248.39 | -19.4% |
| 1964 | 274.22 | +10.4% |
| 1965 | 239.52 | -12.7% |
| 1966 | 220.42 | -8.0% |
| 1967 | 165.66 | -24.8% |
| 1968 | 180.29 | +8.8% |
| 1969 | 153.18 | -15.0% |
| 1970 | 145.42 | -5.1% |
| 1971 | 136.15 | -6.4% |
| 1972 | 133.35 | -2.1% |
| 1973 | 120.93 | -9.3% |
| 1974 | 102.49 | -15.3% |
| 1975 | 102.43 | -0.1% |
| 1976 | 93.25 | -9.0% |
| 1977 | 96.18 | +3.1% |
| 1978 | 84.23 | -12.4% |
| 1979 | 75.84 | -10.0% |
| 1980 | 63.57 | -16.2% |
| 1981 | 57.67 | -9.3% |
| 1982 | 62.01 | +7.5% |
| 1983 | 62.8 | +1.3% |
| 1984 | 47.42 | -24.5% |
| 1985 | 69.81 | +47.2% |
| 1986 | 69.45 | -0.5% |
| 1987 | 62.53 | -10.0% |
| 1988 | 62.35 | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 61.04 | -2.1% |
| 1990 | 59.34 | -2.8% |
| 1991 | 59.02 | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 56.47 | -4.3% |
| 1993 | 55.8 | -1.2% |
| 1994 | 50.69 | -9.2% |
| 1995 | 51.98 | +2.5% |
| 1996 | 52.69 | +1.4% |
| 1997 | 52.71 | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 47 | -10.8% |
| 1999 | 50.5 | +7.5% |
| 2000 | 61.08 | +20.9% |
| 2001 | 54.7 | -10.4% |
| 2002 | 51.99 | -4.9% |
| 2003 | 49.74 | -4.3% |
| 2004 | 48.1 | -3.3% |
| 2005 | 44.01 | -8.5% |
| 2006 | 40.75 | -7.4% |
| 2007 | 39.46 | -3.2% |
| 2008 | 39.63 | +0.4% |
| 2009 | 39.13 | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 37.26 | -4.8% |
| 2011 | 36.13 | -3.0% |
| 2012 | 34.63 | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 33.44 | -3.4% |
| 2014 | 30.16 | -9.8% |
| 2015 | 30.37 | +0.7% |
| 2016 | 29.81 | -1.9% |
| 2017 | 30.62 | +2.7% |
| 2018 | 30.29 | -1.1% |
| 2019 | 29.82 | -1.6% |
| 2020 | 28.84 | -3.3% |
Sri Lanka compared with similar countries
- Sri Lanka's 28.84 is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 51.11, 56% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Sri Lanka's 28.84 is below the median for South Asia, which is 81.3, 35% of the median. (6 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Maternal mortality in Sri Lanka changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1911 | +157.5% | 903.82 | 2,327 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 1,531 | 1,378 | 1,721 | 10 |
| 1910s | 2,121 | 903.82 | 2,494 | 10 |
| 1920s | 1,943 | 1,750 | 2,156 | 10 |
| 1930s | 2,067 | 1,824 | 2,680 | 10 |
| 1940s | 1,307 | 654.55 | 1,694 | 10 |
| 1950s | 457.1 | 347.29 | 579.85 | 10 |
| 1960s | 237.1 | 153.18 | 311.68 | 10 |
| 1970s | 109.03 | 75.84 | 145.42 | 10 |
| 1980s | 61.86 | 47.42 | 69.81 | 10 |
| 1990s | 53.62 | 47 | 59.34 | 10 |
| 2000s | 46.86 | 39.13 | 61.08 | 10 |
| 2010s | 32.25 | 29.81 | 37.26 | 10 |
| 2020s | 28.84 | 28.84 | 28.84 | 1 |
Countries ranked near Sri Lanka
More health data for Sri Lanka
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.62 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.7332 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 304 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -2.13 % 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 0.0339 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -2.12 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, per capita 0.0353 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is maternal mortality in Sri Lanka?
- Maternal mortality in Sri Lanka was 28.84 in 2020, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest maternal mortality recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The highest recorded value was 2,680 in 1935.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality recorded in Sri Lanka?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.84 in 2020.
- How does Sri Lanka rank for maternal mortality?
- Sri Lanka ranks 113th out of 189 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality rising or falling in Sri Lanka?
- Over the last ten years it is down 22.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Sri Lanka data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Maternal mortality. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 121 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).