Every two minutes, a woman dies from complications related to pregnancy or childbirth – these deaths are largely preventable. The quality of care during pregnancy and delivery varies considerably across the globe and is impacted by geography, income level and access to trained health workers. To shed light on where progress has been made and where urgent gaps remain, explore this interactive dashboard using the latest global data on maternal mortality from 2000 to 2023.
Key Findings:
- In 2023, 260,000 women died from pregnancy-related causes– about one every two minutes
- The global maternal mortality ratio dropped from 328 to 197 deaths per 100,000 live births since 2000
- Progress has slowed since 2016, with the annual rate of improvement falling below 2 per cent
- Sub-Saharan Africa accounts for nearly 70 per cent of all maternal deaths
- A 15-year-old girl today faces a lifetime risk of 1 in 272 of dying from maternal causes, with the highest risks concentrated in low income regions.
The dashboard allows users to:
- Choose a region and see how maternal mortality has changed over time
- Hover over the map to compare risk levels across countries
- Download graphs for schoolwork, presentations, or social media posts
This tool provides a starting point for anyone interested in health equity and maternal care. Maternal mortality is more than a statistic – it reflects how societies prioritize care, especially for women and girls.
