Maternal mortality ratio in Vanuatu
Vanuatu: Maternal mortality ratio was 94.44 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▼ Falling
Latest (2020)
94.44 deaths per 100,000 live births
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
72nd
of 189 countries
All-time high
165.43 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 1987
All-time low
86.39 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 2008
Years of data
36
1985–2020
Maternal mortality ratio in Vanuatu, 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 Vanuatu stood at 94.44 deaths per 100,000 live births.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 1.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, maternal mortality ratio in Vanuatu peaked at 165.43 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987 and was at its lowest, 86.39 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 2008.
Vanuatu ranks 72nd of 189 countries on this measure, 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 Vanuatu, year by year
| Year | deaths per 100,000 live births | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 161.13 deaths per 100,000 live births | — |
| 1986 | 146.23 deaths per 100,000 live births | -9.2% |
| 1987 | 165.43 deaths per 100,000 live births | +13.1% |
| 1988 | 118.14 deaths per 100,000 live births | -28.6% |
| 1989 | 124.55 deaths per 100,000 live births | +5.4% |
| 1990 | 110.83 deaths per 100,000 live births | -11.0% |
| 1991 | 110.93 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.1% |
| 1992 | 110.82 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.1% |
| 1993 | 112.26 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.3% |
| 1994 | 112.64 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.3% |
| 1995 | 110.72 deaths per 100,000 live births | -1.7% |
| 1996 | 105.29 deaths per 100,000 live births | -4.9% |
| 1997 | 107.91 deaths per 100,000 live births | +2.5% |
| 1998 | 103.7 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.9% |
| 1999 | 118.42 deaths per 100,000 live births | +14.2% |
| 2000 | 108.71 deaths per 100,000 live births | -8.2% |
| 2001 | 98.23 deaths per 100,000 live births | -9.6% |
| 2002 | 95.61 deaths per 100,000 live births | -2.7% |
| 2003 | 96.73 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 96.62 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 97.54 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 97.5 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 97.96 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 86.39 deaths per 100,000 live births | -11.8% |
| 2009 | 87.9 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.7% |
| 2010 | 93.06 deaths per 100,000 live births | +5.9% |
| 2011 | 95.07 deaths per 100,000 live births | +2.2% |
| 2012 | 86.6 deaths per 100,000 live births | -8.9% |
| 2013 | 86.85 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.3% |
| 2014 | 92.41 deaths per 100,000 live births | +6.4% |
| 2015 | 91.9 deaths per 100,000 live births | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 94.23 deaths per 100,000 live births | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 94.29 deaths per 100,000 live births | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 96.58 deaths per 100,000 live births | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 92.78 deaths per 100,000 live births | -3.9% |
| 2020 | 94.44 deaths per 100,000 live births | +1.8% |
Vanuatu compared with similar countries
- Vanuatu's 94.44 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, 49% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
- Vanuatu's 94.44 deaths per 100,000 live births is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 59.08 deaths per 100,000 live births, 1.6× the median. (27 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Maternal mortality ratio in Vanuatu 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1988 | -28.6% | 165.43 deaths per 100,000 live births | 118.14 deaths per 100,000 live births |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 143.09 deaths per 100,000 live births | 118.14 deaths per 100,000 live births | 165.43 deaths per 100,000 live births | 5 |
| 1990s | 110.35 deaths per 100,000 live births | 103.7 deaths per 100,000 live births | 118.42 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2000s | 96.32 deaths per 100,000 live births | 86.39 deaths per 100,000 live births | 108.71 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2010s | 92.38 deaths per 100,000 live births | 86.6 deaths per 100,000 live births | 96.58 deaths per 100,000 live births | 10 |
| 2020s | 94.44 deaths per 100,000 live births | 94.44 deaths per 100,000 live births | 94.44 deaths per 100,000 live births | 1 |
Countries ranked near Vanuatu
- 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
- 73 Mauritius 84.36 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 74 Philippines 78.24 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
- 75 Nicaragua 77.88 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
More health data for Vanuatu
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.22 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.8846 % change on previous year (2090)
- Estimated changes in temperature-related death rates compared to projected death rates 695.7 deaths per 1,000 people (2090)
- Number of infants who die before age 1 44 deaths (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.3888 % 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 0.0639 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.395 % 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 Vanuatu?
- Maternal mortality ratio in Vanuatu was 94.44 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 Vanuatu?
- The highest recorded value was 165.43 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1987.
- What is the lowest maternal mortality ratio recorded in Vanuatu?
- The lowest recorded value was 86.39 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2008.
- How does Vanuatu rank for maternal mortality ratio?
- Vanuatu ranks 72nd out of 189 countries with data for 2020.
- Is maternal mortality ratio rising or falling in Vanuatu?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Vanuatu 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.