Countries with the Highest Maternal Mortality

About This Dataset

The countries with the highest maternal mortality ratio - the number of women who die from pregnancy or childbirth-related causes per 100,000 live births - according to WHO and UN estimates for 2020. The ratio is a key indicator of the quality and accessibility of maternal healthcare.

✨ AI Insight

Maternal death is overwhelmingly concentrated in sub-Saharan Africa and conflict-affected states. South Sudan has the world's highest maternal mortality ratio at 1,223 deaths per 100,000 live births - meaning more than one mother dies for every 100 births - followed by Chad (1,064) and Nigeria (1,047). To put that in perspective, these rates are over 100 times higher than in the safest countries, where fewer than 5 mothers die per 100,000 births. The Central African Republic (835), Guinea-Bissau (725) and Liberia (652) also record extreme levels. Every country in the top twelve is in sub-Saharan Africa except Afghanistan (620). The common threads are poverty, weak health systems, few skilled birth attendants and ongoing conflict, all of which deprive women of the emergency obstetric care that makes childbirth safe elsewhere.

Source: WHO / UN Maternal Mortality Estimation Group

Key Findings

Auto-computed highlights from this dataset

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South Sudan leads with 1,223 in All Time.

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Average value in All Time: 712 · median: 637.

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Gap in All Time: South Sudan is 2.8× larger than Cameroon.