Number of maternal deaths (Trends) in North America
North America: Number of maternal deaths (Trends) was 650 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Number of maternal deaths in North America, 1985–2023
Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
Analysis
In 2023, number of maternal deaths in North America stood at 650.
The figure is down 19.8% on the previous year and down 3.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of maternal deaths in North America peaked at 1,200 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 450, in 1985.
That places North America 39th out of 47 groups with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
Number of maternal deaths (Trends) in North America, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 450 | — |
| 1986 | 460 | +2.2% |
| 1987 | 470 | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 490 | +4.3% |
| 1989 | 510 | +4.1% |
| 1990 | 520 | +2.0% |
| 1991 | 520 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 490 | -5.8% |
| 1993 | 490 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 480 | -2.0% |
| 1995 | 480 | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 470 | -2.1% |
| 1997 | 450 | -4.3% |
| 1998 | 460 | +2.2% |
| 1999 | 480 | +4.3% |
| 2000 | 510 | +6.2% |
| 2001 | 530 | +3.9% |
| 2002 | 540 | +1.9% |
| 2003 | 570 | +5.6% |
| 2004 | 570 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 580 | +1.8% |
| 2006 | 600 | +3.4% |
| 2007 | 610 | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 620 | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 640 | +3.2% |
| 2010 | 620 | -3.1% |
| 2011 | 650 | +4.8% |
| 2012 | 660 | +1.5% |
| 2013 | 670 | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 700 | +4.5% |
| 2015 | 720 | +2.9% |
| 2016 | 750 | +4.2% |
| 2017 | 740 | -1.3% |
| 2018 | 720 | -2.7% |
| 2019 | 710 | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 880 | +23.9% |
| 2021 | 1,200 | +36.4% |
| 2022 | 810 | -32.5% |
| 2023 | 650 | -19.8% |
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of maternal deaths (Trends) in North America 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | +36.4% | 880 | 1,200 |
| 2022 | -32.5% | 1,200 | 810 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 476 | 450 | 510 | 5 |
| 1990s | 484 | 450 | 520 | 10 |
| 2000s | 577 | 510 | 640 | 10 |
| 2010s | 694 | 620 | 750 | 10 |
| 2020s | 885 | 650 | 1,200 | 4 |
Countries ranked near North America
More health data for North America
- Population ages 40-44, male, annual growth rate 0.825 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per capita 0.0358 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, annual growth rate 0.6142 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, female, per capita 0.0326 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per capita 0.0344 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 45-49, female, annual growth rate 1.98 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 35-39, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population ages 40-44, male, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of maternal deaths in North America?
- Number of maternal deaths in North America was 650 in 2023, according to Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest number of maternal deaths recorded in North America?
- The highest recorded value was 1,200 in 2021.
- What is the lowest number of maternal deaths recorded in North America?
- The lowest recorded value was 450 in 1985.
- How does North America rank for number of maternal deaths?
- North America ranks 39th out of 47 groups with data for 2023.
- Is number of maternal deaths rising or falling in North America?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North America 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.