Number of maternal deaths (Trends) in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Number of maternal deaths (Trends) was 40 in 2023. ▼ Falling
Number of maternal deaths in Saudi Arabia, 1985–2023
Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
Analysis
In 2023, number of maternal deaths in Saudi Arabia stood at 40. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.
The figure is down 9.1% on the previous year and down 16.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of maternal deaths in Saudi Arabia peaked at 140 in 1985 and was at its lowest, 40, in 2023.
Saudi Arabia ranks 95th of 194 countries on this measure, 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 Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 140 | — |
| 1986 | 140 | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 140 | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 130 | -7.1% |
| 1989 | 130 | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 120 | -7.7% |
| 1991 | 120 | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 110 | -8.3% |
| 1993 | 110 | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 110 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 100 | -9.1% |
| 1996 | 100 | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 98 | -2.0% |
| 1998 | 96 | -2.0% |
| 1999 | 92 | -4.2% |
| 2000 | 89 | -3.3% |
| 2001 | 82 | -7.9% |
| 2002 | 75 | -8.5% |
| 2003 | 69 | -8.0% |
| 2004 | 65 | -5.8% |
| 2005 | 63 | -3.1% |
| 2006 | 63 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 64 | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 61 | -4.7% |
| 2009 | 58 | -4.9% |
| 2010 | 53 | -8.6% |
| 2011 | 52 | -1.9% |
| 2012 | 51 | -1.9% |
| 2013 | 48 | -5.9% |
| 2014 | 48 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 47 | -2.1% |
| 2016 | 47 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 48 | +2.1% |
| 2018 | 48 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 43 | -10.4% |
| 2020 | 57 | +32.6% |
| 2021 | 61 | +7.0% |
| 2022 | 44 | -27.9% |
| 2023 | 40 | -9.1% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 40 is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.5, 11.4× the median. (64 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 40 is below the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 60, 67% of the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Number of maternal deaths (Trends) in Saudi Arabia 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 | +32.6% | 43 | 57 |
| 2022 | -27.9% | 61 | 44 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 136 | 130 | 140 | 5 |
| 1990s | 105.6 | 92 | 120 | 10 |
| 2000s | 68.9 | 58 | 89 | 10 |
| 2010s | 48.5 | 43 | 53 | 10 |
| 2020s | 50.5 | 40 | 61 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More health data for Saudi Arabia
- Un projection of annual infant deaths, annual growth rate -0.8373 % change on previous year (2100)
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates, annual growth rate 0.3736 % change on previous year (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 829 (2100)
- Neonatal tetanus - number of reported cases, gaps filled 1 (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, female, annual growth rate 5.31 % 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 0.0384 units per person (2025)
- Population ages 00-04, male, annual growth rate 5.38 % 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 0.0401 units per person (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of maternal deaths in Saudi Arabia?
- Number of maternal deaths in Saudi Arabia was 40 in 2023, according to Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
- What is the highest number of maternal deaths recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 140 in 1985.
- What is the lowest number of maternal deaths recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 40 in 2023.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for number of maternal deaths?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 95th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
- Is number of maternal deaths rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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.