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The maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 in United States of America

United States of America: The maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 was 21.08 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
21.08 deaths per 100,000 live births
Change on year
up 6.2%
World rank
123rd
of 185 countries
All-time high
21.08 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 2020
All-time low
10.04 deaths per 100,000 live births
in 1990
Years of data
36
1985–2020

The maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 in United States of America, 1985–2020

051015201985200220201985: 10.7 deaths per 100,000 live births1986: 11.1 deaths per 100,000 live births1987: 11 deaths per 100,000 live births1988: 10.8 deaths per 100,000 live births1989: 10.4 deaths per 100,000 live births1990: 10 deaths per 100,000 live births1991: 10.3 deaths per 100,000 live births1992: 10.3 deaths per 100,000 live births1993: 10.8 deaths per 100,000 live births1994: 11 deaths per 100,000 live births1995: 11.3 deaths per 100,000 live births1996: 11.1 deaths per 100,000 live births1997: 10.9 deaths per 100,000 live births1998: 10.9 deaths per 100,000 live births1999: 11.5 deaths per 100,000 live births2000: 11.8 deaths per 100,000 live births2001: 12.5 deaths per 100,000 live births2002: 12.9 deaths per 100,000 live births2003: 13.2 deaths per 100,000 live births2004: 13.1 deaths per 100,000 live births2005: 13.3 deaths per 100,000 live births2006: 13.2 deaths per 100,000 live births2007: 13.2 deaths per 100,000 live births2008: 14 deaths per 100,000 live births2009: 15.4 deaths per 100,000 live births2010: 14.1 deaths per 100,000 live births2011: 15.3 deaths per 100,000 live births2012: 15.8 deaths per 100,000 live births2013: 16.4 deaths per 100,000 live births2014: 16.8 deaths per 100,000 live births2015: 17.4 deaths per 100,000 live births2016: 18.4 deaths per 100,000 live births2017: 19.1 deaths per 100,000 live births2018: 19.5 deaths per 100,000 live births2019: 19.9 deaths per 100,000 live births2020: 21.1 deaths per 100,000 live births

Source: UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Measured in deaths per 100,000 live births.

Analysis

The most recent figure for the maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 in United States of America is 21.08 deaths per 100,000 live births, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 36 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 6.2% on the previous year and up 49.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, the maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 in United States of America peaked at 21.08 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020 and was at its lowest, 10.04 deaths per 100,000 live births, in 1990.

That places United States of America 123rd out of 185 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 36 years of available data.

The maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 in United States of America, year by year

Year deaths per 100,000 live births Change
1985 10.73 deaths per 100,000 live births —
1986 11.07 deaths per 100,000 live births +3.1%
1987 11.01 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.5%
1988 10.82 deaths per 100,000 live births -1.7%
1989 10.43 deaths per 100,000 live births -3.6%
1990 10.04 deaths per 100,000 live births -3.8%
1991 10.27 deaths per 100,000 live births +2.3%
1992 10.3 deaths per 100,000 live births +0.3%
1993 10.79 deaths per 100,000 live births +4.7%
1994 11.05 deaths per 100,000 live births +2.4%
1995 11.33 deaths per 100,000 live births +2.5%
1996 11.12 deaths per 100,000 live births -1.8%
1997 10.93 deaths per 100,000 live births -1.7%
1998 10.9 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.3%
1999 11.46 deaths per 100,000 live births +5.1%
2000 11.83 deaths per 100,000 live births +3.2%
2001 12.53 deaths per 100,000 live births +5.9%
2002 12.88 deaths per 100,000 live births +2.8%
2003 13.18 deaths per 100,000 live births +2.3%
2004 13.1 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.6%
2005 13.28 deaths per 100,000 live births +1.4%
2006 13.2 deaths per 100,000 live births -0.6%
2007 13.22 deaths per 100,000 live births +0.2%
2008 13.97 deaths per 100,000 live births +5.7%
2009 15.41 deaths per 100,000 live births +10.3%
2010 14.07 deaths per 100,000 live births -8.6%
2011 15.26 deaths per 100,000 live births +8.4%
2012 15.82 deaths per 100,000 live births +3.7%
2013 16.42 deaths per 100,000 live births +3.8%
2014 16.78 deaths per 100,000 live births +2.2%
2015 17.38 deaths per 100,000 live births +3.5%
2016 18.45 deaths per 100,000 live births +6.2%
2017 19.14 deaths per 100,000 live births +3.8%
2018 19.45 deaths per 100,000 live births +1.6%
2019 19.85 deaths per 100,000 live births +2.1%
2020 21.08 deaths per 100,000 live births +6.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 10.81 deaths per 100,000 live births 10.43 deaths per 100,000 live births 11.07 deaths per 100,000 live births 5
1990s 10.82 deaths per 100,000 live births 10.04 deaths per 100,000 live births 11.46 deaths per 100,000 live births 10
2000s 13.26 deaths per 100,000 live births 11.83 deaths per 100,000 live births 15.41 deaths per 100,000 live births 10
2010s 17.26 deaths per 100,000 live births 14.07 deaths per 100,000 live births 19.85 deaths per 100,000 live births 10
2020s 21.08 deaths per 100,000 live births 21.08 deaths per 100,000 live births 21.08 deaths per 100,000 live births 1

Countries ranked near United States of America

  1. 120 Antigua and Barbuda 21.25 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  2. 121 Grenada 21.14 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  3. 122 Malaysia 21.13 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  4. 124 Lebanon 20.62 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  5. 125 Palestine, State of 20.43 deaths per 100,000 live births compare
  6. 126 Uruguay 18.64 deaths per 100,000 live births compare

See the full ranking of 185 places →

More health data for United States of America

All data for United States of America →

Frequently asked questions

What is the maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 in United States of America?
The maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 in United States of America was 21.08 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020, according to UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data.
What is the highest the maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 recorded in United States of America?
The highest recorded value was 21.08 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2020.
What is the lowest the maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 recorded in United States of America?
The lowest recorded value was 10.04 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1990.
How does United States of America rank for the maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020?
United States of America ranks 123rd out of 185 countries with data for 2020.
Is the maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 rising or falling in United States of America?
Over the last ten years it is up 49.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States of America data come from?
The figures come from UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data, published as part of The maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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The maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020 in United States of America. Statizoid, drawing on UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data. Retrieved 04 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/the-maternal-mortality-ratio-in-1985-and-2020/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
The maternal mortality ratio in 1985 and 2020
Unit
deaths per 100,000 live births
Source
UN MMEIG (2023) – processed by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
185 places, 6,660 data points, 1985–2020
Last refreshed

The estimated maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.