Countries by Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births)
Nigeria ranks 1st with a maternal mortality ratio of 993 per 100,000 live births, the highest of all 194 countries covered. At the opposite end, Belarus and Norway each record a ratio of 1. That gap of 992 points between the top and bottom of this ranking reflects the full breadth of variation in pregnancy-related mortality risk across the world.
Ranking 2023
Values shown in per capita.
Analysis
Maternal mortality ratio measures the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on the proportion of maternal deaths among non-AIDS deaths in women ages 15-49, fertility, birth attendants, and GDP measured using purchasing power parities (PPPs). The indicator code is SH.STA.MMRT, sourced from the World Bank World Development Indicators for data year 2023. Rankings cover 194 countries, all with data from the last seven years, and 100% of datapoints are classified as official. The metric is expressed per 100,000 live births. Because higher values indicate worse outcomes for maternal health, this ranking is ordered from highest to lowest ratio, with rank 1 representing the worst recorded result.
The ten countries with the highest maternal mortality ratios are concentrated in Sub-Saharan Africa and conflict-affected states. Nigeria leads at 993, followed by Chad at 748, Central African Republic and South Sudan tied at 692, and Liberia at 628. Somalia records 563, Afghanistan 521, Benin 518, Guinea-Bissau 505, and Guinea 494. Lesotho at 478 rounds out the top 11. The range within just the top 30 countries spans from 993 down to 241, reflecting severe and sustained disparity across this group. All 38 statistical outliers identified at the 3-sigma threshold fall within the upper portion of the ranking, consistent with the extreme right skew of the distribution.
Countries in the middle of the ranking show considerable variation. Venezuela ranks 35th at 227, placing it between Rwanda at 229 and Malawi at 225. The United States ranks 128th at 17, alongside Bahrain and Egypt at the same value. Several small island states appear across the mid-range: Nauru ranks 26th at 273, Marshall Islands 47th at 155, and Micronesia 57th at 129. Mozambique, despite being among the world's poorest countries, ranks 67th at 99, lower than expected relative to some neighbors. At the lower end of the ranking, Australia records 2 and sits at rank 190 alongside Israel and Poland, while Belarus and Norway share rank 193 at a ratio of 1, the lowest recorded value across all 194 countries.
This metric carries several important limitations. The values are modeled estimates, not direct counts, derived from a regression model using proxy variables including non-AIDS female mortality, fertility rates, birth attendant data, and GDP at PPP. Countries with weak civil registration systems may have less reliable inputs, which can affect model accuracy. The 42-day definitional window for pregnancy-related deaths may cause undercounting in contexts where cause-of-death attribution is incomplete. The ranking does not capture sub-national variation, which can be substantial in large or geographically diverse countries. Year-over-year volatility averaged 15.4% across the dataset, indicating that single-year values should be interpreted cautiously. Rankings among countries with similar values, particularly where ties occur, should not be treated as meaningful distinctions.
Methodology
Data are drawn from the World Bank World Development Indicators, indicator code SH.STA.MMRT, for the reference year 2023. Maternal mortality ratio is defined as the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on the proportion of maternal deaths among non-AIDS deaths in women ages 15-49, fertility, birth attendants, and GDP measured using purchasing power parities (PPPs). The ranking covers 194 countries, all of which have data from within the last seven years, representing 100% recency coverage. All 194 datapoints are classified as official quality. The dataset contains 38 extreme outliers identified at the 3-sigma threshold, concentrated in high-ratio countries. Average year-over-year change is 15.4%, within the 50% volatility threshold. The value range extends from 1 to 993, a spread of 99,200%. Because this metric is based on modeled estimates rather than direct registration data, results in countries with limited statistical infrastructure should be interpreted with caution.