Number of maternal deaths (Trends) in Costa Rica
Costa Rica: Number of maternal deaths (Trends) was 13 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Number of maternal deaths in Costa Rica, 1985–2023
Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
Analysis
Costa Rica recorded 13 for number of maternal deaths in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
That represents a change of down 7.1% on the previous year and down 31.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of maternal deaths in Costa Rica peaked at 36 in 1986 and was at its lowest, 13, in 2023.
That places Costa Rica 114th out of 194 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 39 years of available data.
Number of maternal deaths (Trends) in Costa Rica, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 35 | — |
| 1986 | 36 | +2.9% |
| 1987 | 35 | -2.8% |
| 1988 | 34 | -2.9% |
| 1989 | 34 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 33 | -2.9% |
| 1991 | 32 | -3.0% |
| 1992 | 32 | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 32 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 32 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 31 | -3.1% |
| 1996 | 31 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 30 | -3.2% |
| 1998 | 30 | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 29 | -3.3% |
| 2000 | 28 | -3.4% |
| 2001 | 27 | -3.6% |
| 2002 | 25 | -7.4% |
| 2003 | 24 | -4.0% |
| 2004 | 24 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 23 | -4.2% |
| 2006 | 21 | -8.7% |
| 2007 | 22 | +4.8% |
| 2008 | 22 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 22 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 20 | -9.1% |
| 2011 | 21 | +5.0% |
| 2012 | 20 | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 19 | -5.0% |
| 2014 | 19 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 18 | -5.3% |
| 2016 | 19 | +5.6% |
| 2017 | 18 | -5.3% |
| 2018 | 19 | +5.6% |
| 2019 | 16 | -15.8% |
| 2020 | 20 | +25.0% |
| 2021 | 23 | +15.0% |
| 2022 | 14 | -39.1% |
| 2023 | 13 | -7.1% |
Costa Rica compared with similar countries
- Costa Rica's 13 is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.5, 3.7× the median. (64 countries reporting)
- Costa Rica's 13 is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 29.5, 44% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of maternal deaths (Trends) in Costa Rica 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | -39.1% | 23 | 14 |
| 2020 | +25.0% | 16 | 20 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 34.8 | 34 | 36 | 5 |
| 1990s | 31.2 | 29 | 33 | 10 |
| 2000s | 23.8 | 21 | 28 | 10 |
| 2010s | 18.9 | 16 | 21 | 10 |
| 2020s | 17.5 | 13 | 23 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Costa Rica
More health data for Costa Rica
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -2.78 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.4617 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 35 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 0 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate -3.42 % 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 0.0248 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate -3.37 % 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 0.0259 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of maternal deaths in Costa Rica?
- Number of maternal deaths in Costa Rica was 13 in 2023, according to Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest number of maternal deaths recorded in Costa Rica?
- The highest recorded value was 36 in 1986.
- What is the lowest number of maternal deaths recorded in Costa Rica?
- The lowest recorded value was 13 in 2023.
- How does Costa Rica rank for number of maternal deaths?
- Costa Rica ranks 114th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of maternal deaths rising or falling in Costa Rica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 31.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Costa Rica 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.
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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.