Every day, more than 5,000 women around the world endure the heartbreaking experience of stillbirth. Many of these tragedies seem sudden and inexplicable – leaving mothers grieving, traumatized and searching for answers. But the truth is, most stillbirths are preventable when women have access to timely, high-quality care during pregnancy and childbirth. And when a stillbirth does occur, there are critical steps health systems can take to support families – through compassionate care and accurate, respectful documentation. New estimates from the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME), drawn from data across 195 countries, show that while progress has been made in reducing stillbirths, it is not happening fast enough — especially compared to gains in child survival. The burden remains immense, and it falls hardest on women in the world’s poorest and most fragile settings. This report sheds light on the latest data, the preventable nature of stillbirths, and the urgent actions needed to accelerate progress and honour every life lost.
Despite progress, stillbirths continue to occur with alarming frequency
In 2023, almost 2 million babies were stillborn during the last trimester of pregnancy (at or after 28 weeks of gestation). An estimated 14 in every 1,000 babies born in 2023 were stillborn. That’s 1 in 69 babies never taking their first breath. More than four in 10 stillborn babies died during labour (i.e., intrapartum) – a time when many stillbirths can be prevented with the aid of skilled health personnel at delivery. In the places where the stillbirth rates are highest, the proportion of intrapartum stillbirths is even higher, estimated at 49 per cent or higher.
Data availability on stillbirths remains poor
Every baby deserves to be counted – whether they are born alive or stillborn. Yet stillbirths are frequently excluded from routine data systems; when these data are included, inadequate attention to data quality often limits their utility. One in three countries do not produce quality data on stillbirths. Less than half of the 200 countries with estimates on stillbirths report data in relation to the onset of labour (whether the death occurred during the antepartum or intrapartum period) – critical information that practitioners and policymakers need to target interventions and save lives. Current estimates are limited to late gestation (third trimester, 28 weeks or later) stillbirths due to methodological and data inconsistencies at earlier gestational ages.
There are huge differences in stillbirth rates across the world
Almost one in three (32 per cent) stillbirths in 2023 took place in low-income countries and nearly 80 per cent occurred in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia.The number and share of stillbirths are on the rise in sub-Saharan Africa, where nearly 48 per cent of the stillbirths took place in 2023, versus only 30 per cent of live births occurring in the region. The burden of stillbirth also varies widely between countries: The highest national stillbirth rate in 2023 was more than 20 times that of the lowest national rate.
In fragile and conflict-affected settings, the stillbirth rate is twice as high as that of more stable regions. While 25 per cent of live births occur in these settings, FCS countries account for 41 per cent of stillbirths in 2023.
Stillbirths that occur during labor are mostly preventable
Every 36 seconds a baby is stillborn during labour. While the proportion of intrapartum stillbirths has declined since 2000 – from 55 per cent to 46 per cent – stark inequities persist. In Europe, just one in 12 stillbirths occur during labour compared to one in two in Southern Asia and sub–Saharan Africa. These deaths are not inevitable. With universal access to high-quality childbirth care – including skilled birth attendance, timely fetal monitoring, and emergency obstetric interventions –—most of these babies could be saved.
Without urgent action, the tragedy of stillbirths will needlessly impact millions of families
If current trends continue, nearly 13 million more babies will be stillborn by 2030; wix`th half of these deaths in sub-Saharan Africa and almost a third in Southern Asia. The Every Woman, Every Newborn Everywhere Plan (EWENE) calls for each country to achieve a rate of 12 stillbirths or fewer per 1,000 total births by 2030 and to close equity gaps. Fifty-two countries will not meet this targets with 43 countries in sub-Saharan Africa. Thirty-three countries are only projected to achieve this target after 2050. To meet the Global Goals, 47 countries must at least double their current rate of progress in reducing stillbirths. Stronger investments, health care improvements and policy commitments are urgently to protect these lives.
