# Maternal mortality ratio

The maternal mortality ratio is a key performance indicator (KPI) for efforts to improve the health and safety of mothers before, during, and after childbirth per country worldwide. Often referred to as MMR, it is the annual number of female deaths per 100,000 live births from any cause related to or aggravated by pregnancy or its management (excluding accidental or incidental causes). It is not to be confused with the maternal mortality rate, which is the number of maternal deaths (direct and indirect) in a given period per 100,000 women of reproductive age during the same time period. The statistics are gathered by WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, World Bank Group, and the United Nations Population Division. The yearly report started in 1990 and is called Trends in Maternal Mortality. As of the 2015 data published in 2016, the countries that have seen an increase in the maternal mortality ratio since 1990 are the Bahamas, Georgia, Guyana, Jamaica, Dem. People’s Rep. Korea, Serbia, South Africa, St. Lucia, Suriname, Tonga, United States, Venezuela, RB Zimbabwe. But according to Sustainable Development Goals report 2018, the overall maternal mortality ratio has declined by 37 percent since 2002. Nearly 303,000 women died due to complications during pregnancy.
With an exceptionally high mortality ratio compared to other U.S. states, the government of Texas created the Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Task Force in 2013.

## Country measurements

This KPI was used for the Millennium Development Goals from 2000 to 2015 and is part of the Sustainable Development Goals. The list of countries with a comparison of this KPI in 1990, 2000 and 2015 are:
| Country | 1990 | 2000 | 2015 |
| Afghanistan | 1,340 | 1,100 | 396 |
| Albania | 71 | 43 | 29 |
| Algeria | 216 | 170 | 140 |
| American Samoa | | | |
| Andorra | | | |
| Angola | 1,160 | 924 | 477 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | | | |
| Argentina | 72 | 60 | 52 |
| Armenia | 58 | 40 | 25 |
| Aruba | | | |
| Australia | 8 | 9 | 6 |
| Austria | 8 | 5 | 4 |
| Azerbaijan | 64 | 48 | 25 |
| Bahamas, The | 46 | 61 | 80 |
| Bahrain | 26 | 21 | 15 |
| Bangladesh | 569 | 399 | 176 |
| Barbados | 58 | 48 | 27 |
| Belarus | 33 | 26 | 4 |
| Belgium | 9 | 9 | 7 |
| Belize | 54 | 53 | 28 |
| Benin | 576 | 572 | 405 |
| Bermuda | | | |
| Bhutan | 945 | 423 | 148 |
| Bolivia | 425 | 334 | 206 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | 28 | 17 | 11 |
| Botswana | 243 | 311 | 129 |
| Brazil | 104 | 66 | 44 |
| British Virgin Islands | | | |
| Brunei Darussalam | 35 | 31 | 23 |
| Bulgaria | 25 | 21 | 11 |
| Burkina Faso | 727 | 547 | 371 |
| Burundi | 1,220 | 954 | 712 |
| Cabo Verde | 256 | 83 | 42 |
| Cambodia | 1,020 | 484 | 161 |
| Cameroon | 728 | 750 | 596 |
| Canada | 7 | 9 | 7 |
| Cayman Islands | | | |
| Central African Republic | 1,290 | 1,200 | 882 |
| Chad | 1,450 | 1,370 | 856 |
| Channel Islands | | | |
| Chile | 57 | 31 | 22 |
| China | 97 | 58 | 27 |
| Colombia | 118 | 97 | 64 |
| Comoros | 635 | 499 | 335 |
| Congo, Dem. Rep. | 879 | 874 | 693 |
| Congo, Rep. | 603 | 653 | 442 |
| Costa Rica | 43 | 38 | 25 |
| Côte d'Ivoire | 745 | 671 | 645 |
| Croatia | 10 | 11 | 8 |
| Cuba | 58 | 43 | 39 |
| Curaçao | | | |
| Cyprus | 16 | 15 | 7 |
| Czech Republic | 14 | 7 | 4 |
| Denmark | 11 | 9 | 6 |
| Djibouti | 517 | 401 | 229 |
| Dominica | | | |
| Dominican Republic | 198 | 79 | 92 |
| Ecuador | 185 | 103 | 64 |
| Egypt, Arab Rep. | 106 | 63 | 33 |
| El Salvador | 157 | 84 | 54 |
| Equatorial Guinea | 1,310 | 702 | 342 |
| Eritrea | 1,590 | 733 | 501 |
| Estonia | 42 | 26 | 9 |
| Ethiopia | 1,250 | 897 | 353 |
| Faroe Islands | | | |
| Fiji | 63 | 42 | 30 |
| Finland | 6 | 5 | 3 |
| France | 13 | 12 | 8 |
| French Polynesia | | | |
| Gabon | 422 | 405 | 291 |
| Gambia, The | 1,030 | 887 | 706 |
| Georgia | 34 | 37 | 36 |
| Germany | 11 | 8 | 6 |
| Ghana | 634 | 467 | 319 |
| Gibraltar | | | |
| Greece | 5 | 4 | 3 |
| Greenland | | | |
| Grenada | 41 | 29 | 27 |
| Guam | | | |
| Guatemala | 205 | 178 | 88 |
| Guinea | 1,040 | 976 | 679 |
| Guinea-Bissau | 907 | 800 | 549 |
| Guyana | 171 | 210 | 229 |
| Haiti | 625 | 505 | 359 |
| Honduras | 272 | 133 | 129 |
| Hong Kong SAR, China | | | |
| Hungary | 24 | 15 | 17 |
| Iceland | 7 | 5 | 3 |
| India | 556 | 374 | 174 |
| Indonesia | 446 | 265 | 126 |
| Iran, Islamic Rep. | 123 | 51 | 25 |
| Iraq | 107 | 63 | 50 |
| Ireland | 11 | 9 | 8 |
| Isle of Man | | | |
| Israel | 11 | 8 | 5 |
| Italy | 8 | 5 | 4 |
| Jamaica | 79 | 89 | 89 |
| Japan | 14 | 10 | 5 |
| Jordan | 110 | 77 | 58 |
| Kazakhstan | 78 | 65 | 12 |
| Kenya | 687 | 759 | 510 |
| Kiribati | 234 | 166 | 90 |
| Korea, Dem. People’s Rep. | 75 | 128 | 82 |
| Korea, Rep. | 21 | 16 | 11 |
| Kosovo | | | |
| Kuwait | 7 | 7 | 4 |
| Kyrgyz Republic | 80 | 74 | 76 |
| Lao PDR | 905 | 546 | 197 |
| Latvia | 48 | 30 | 18 |
| Lebanon | 74 | 42 | 15 |
| Lesotho | 629 | 649 | 487 |
| Liberia | 1,500 | 1,270 | 725 |
| Libya | 39 | 17 | 9 |
| Liechtenstein | | | |
| Lithuania | 29 | 16 | 10 |
| Luxembourg | 12 | 13 | 10 |
| Macao SAR, China | | | |
| Macedonia | 14 | 12 | 8 |
| Madagascar | 778 | 536 | 353 |
| Malawi | 957 | 890 | 634 |
| Malaysia | 79 | 58 | 40 |
| Maldives | 677 | 163 | 68 |
| Mali | 1,010 | 834 | 587 |
| Malta | 13 | 15 | 9 |
| Marshall Islands | | | |
| Mauritania | 859 | 813 | 602 |
| Mauritius | 81 | 40 | 53 |
| Mexico | 90 | 77 | 38 |
| Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 183 | 153 | 100 |
| Moldova | 51 | 49 | 23 |
| Monaco | | | |
| Mongolia | 186 | 161 | 44 |
| Montenegro | 10 | 11 | 7 |
| Morocco | 317 | 221 | 121 |
| Mozambique | 1,390 | 915 | 489 |
| Myanmar | 453 | 308 | 178 |
| Namibia | 338 | 352 | 265 |
| Nauru | | | |
| Nepal | 901 | 548 | 258 |
| Netherlands | 12 | 14 | 7 |
| New Caledonia | | | |
| New Zealand | 18 | 12 | 11 |
| Nicaragua | 173 | 202 | 150 |
| Niger | 873 | 794 | 553 |
| Nigeria | 1,350 | 1,170 | 814 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | | | |
| Norway | 7 | 7 | 5 |
| Oman | 30 | 20 | 17 |
| Pakistan | 431 | 306 | 178 |
| Palau | | | |
| Panama | 102 | 82 | 94 |
| Papua New Guinea | 470 | 342 | 215 |
| Paraguay | 150 | 158 | 132 |
| Peru | 251 | 140 | 68 |
| Philippines | 152 | 124 | 114 |
| Poland | 17 | 8 | 3 |
| Portugal | 17 | 13 | 10 |
| Puerto Rico | 26 | 22 | 14 |
| Qatar | 29 | 24 | 13 |
| Romania | 124 | 51 | 31 |
| Russian Federation | 63 | 57 | 25 |
| Rwanda | 1,300 | 1,020 | 290 |
| Samoa | 156 | 93 | 51 |
| San Marino | | | |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | 330 | 222 | 156 |
| Saudi Arabia | 46 | 23 | 12 |
| Senegal | 540 | 488 | 315 |
| Serbia | 14 | 17 | 17 |
| Seychelles | | | |
| Sierra Leone | 2,630 | 2,650 | 1,360 |
| Singapore | 12 | 18 | 10 |
| Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | | | |
| Slovak Republic | 11 | 8 | 6 |
| Slovenia | 12 | 12 | 9 |
| Solomon Islands | 364 | 214 | 114 |
| Somalia | 1,210 | 1,080 | 732 |
| South Africa | 108 | 85 | 138 |
| South Sudan | 1,730 | 1,310 | 789 |
| Spain | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Sri Lanka | 75 | 57 | 30 |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | 44 | 145 | 7 |
| St. Lucia | 45 | 54 | 48 |
| St. Martin (French part) | | | |
| St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 58 | 74 | 45 |
| Sudan | 744 | 544 | 311 |
| Suriname | 127 | 259 | 155 |
| Swaziland | 635 | 586 | 389 |
| Sweden | 8 | 5 | 4 |
| Switzerland | 8 | 7 | 5 |
| Syrian Arab Republic | 123 | 73 | 68 |
| Tajikistan | 107 | 68 | 32 |
| Tanzania | 997 | 842 | 398 |
| Thailand | 40 | 25 | 20 |
| Timor-Leste | 1,080 | 694 | 215 |
| Togo | 568 | 491 | 368 |
| Tonga | 75 | 97 | 124 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | 90 | 62 | 63 |
| Tunisia | 131 | 84 | 62 |
| Turkey | 97 | 79 | 16 |
| Turkmenistan | 82 | 59 | 42 |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | | | |
| Tuvalu | | | |
| Uganda | 687 | 620 | 343 |
| Ukraine | 46 | 34 | 24 |
| United Arab Emirates | 17 | 8 | 6 |
| United Kingdom | 10 | 12 | 9 |
| United States | 12 | 12 | 28 |
| Uruguay | 37 | 31 | 15 |
| Uzbekistan | 54 | 34 | 36 |
| Vanuatu | 225 | 144 | 78 |
| Venezuela, RB | 94 | 90 | 95 |
| Vietnam | 139 | 81 | 54 |
| Virgin Islands (U.S.) | | | |
| West Bank and Gaza | 118 | 72 | 45 |
| Yemen, Rep. | 547 | 440 | 385 |
| Zambia | 577 | 541 | 224 |
| Zimbabwe | 440 | 590 | 443 |

## List of aggregated data by region

| Region | 1990 | 2015 |
| World | 385 | 216 |
| Arab World | 289 | 156 |
| Caribbean small states | 94 | 99 |
| Central Europe and the Baltics | 41 | 11 |
| East Asia & Pacific | 159 | 59 |
| Euro area | 11 | 6 |
| Europe & Central Asia | 44 | 16 |
| European Union | 18 | 8 |

## List of aggregated data by focus subject

| Focus subject | 1990 | 2015 |
| Fragile and conflict affected situations | 792 | 481 |
| Heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) | 957 | 482 |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 135 | 67 |
| Least developed countries: UN classification | 903 | 436 |
| Middle East & North Africa | 166 | 81 |
| North America | 11 | 13 |
| OECD members | 32 | 14 |
| Other small states | 538 | 316 |
| Pacific island small states | 176 | 75 |
| Small states | 428 | 272 |
| South Asia | 558 | 182 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 987 | 547 |
| High income | 15 | 10 |
| Low & middle income | 425 | 237 |
| Low income | 1,010 | 496 |
| Lower middle income | 533 | 251 |
| Middle income | 349 | 180 |
| Upper middle income | 114 | 54 |