Number of maternal deaths (Trends) in Canada
Canada: Number of maternal deaths (Trends) was 42 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Number of maternal deaths in Canada, 1985–2023
Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of maternal deaths in Canada is 42, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 19.2% on the previous year and down 2.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of maternal deaths in Canada peaked at 60 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 26, in 1987.
That places Canada 94th out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Number of maternal deaths (Trends) in Canada, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 27 | — |
| 1986 | 27 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 26 | -3.7% |
| 1988 | 27 | +3.8% |
| 1989 | 30 | +11.1% |
| 1990 | 30 | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 31 | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 31 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 32 | +3.2% |
| 1994 | 31 | -3.1% |
| 1995 | 31 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 31 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 29 | -6.5% |
| 1998 | 29 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 30 | +3.4% |
| 2000 | 30 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 32 | +6.7% |
| 2002 | 33 | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 34 | +3.0% |
| 2004 | 35 | +2.9% |
| 2005 | 38 | +8.6% |
| 2006 | 40 | +5.3% |
| 2007 | 42 | +5.0% |
| 2008 | 45 | +7.1% |
| 2009 | 46 | +2.2% |
| 2010 | 43 | -6.5% |
| 2011 | 43 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 44 | +2.3% |
| 2013 | 43 | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 44 | +2.3% |
| 2015 | 44 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 46 | +4.5% |
| 2017 | 46 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 47 | +2.2% |
| 2019 | 46 | -2.1% |
| 2020 | 60 | +30.4% |
| 2021 | 50 | -16.7% |
| 2022 | 52 | +4.0% |
| 2023 | 42 | -19.2% |
Canada compared with similar countries
- Canada's 42 is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.5, 12.0× the median. (64 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of maternal deaths (Trends) in Canada 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | +30.4% | 46 | 60 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 27.4 | 26 | 30 | 5 |
| 1990s | 30.5 | 29 | 32 | 10 |
| 2000s | 37.5 | 30 | 46 | 10 |
| 2010s | 44.6 | 43 | 47 | 10 |
| 2020s | 51 | 42 | 60 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Canada
- 91 France 47 compare
- 92 Comoros 44 compare
- 93 Jamaica 43 compare
- 95 Saudi Arabia 40 compare
- 96 Djibouti 39 compare
- 96 El Salvador 39 compare
- 96 Kazakhstan 39 compare
More health data for Canada
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -1.79 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate -0.3588 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 385 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 0.5214 % 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 0.023 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 0.5024 % 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 0.0242 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of maternal deaths in Canada?
- Number of maternal deaths in Canada was 42 in 2023, according to Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest number of maternal deaths recorded in Canada?
- The highest recorded value was 60 in 2020.
- What is the lowest number of maternal deaths recorded in Canada?
- The lowest recorded value was 26 in 1987.
- How does Canada rank for number of maternal deaths?
- Canada ranks 94th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of maternal deaths rising or falling in Canada?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Canada data come from?
- The figures come from Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Number of maternal deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
A maternal death refers to the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.