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Highest maternal mortality rates, 2000 to 2023

Nigeria has the highest maternal mortality ratio in 2023 at 993 deaths per 100,000 live births, ahead of Chad at 748.

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What the data shows

  • In 2023, Nigeria ranks #1 with 993, ahead of Chad (748) and South Sudan (692).
  • Back in 2000, South Sudan was #1 with 1,658.
  • The top spot changed hands 8 times, first to Central African Republic in 2003, most recently to Nigeria in 2022.
  • Biggest climber: Liberia, from #13 in 2000 to #5 in 2023.

About this chart

Nigeria has the highest maternal mortality ratio in the 2023 data, at 993 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births. Chad follows at 748, then the Central African Republic and South Sudan at 692 each, Liberia at 628 and Somalia at 563. Ratios have fallen steeply since 2000, when South Sudan stood at 1,658, Sierra Leone at 1,603 and the Central African Republic at 1,490. Sierra Leone no longer appears in the top ten.

The figure counts deaths of women from pregnancy-related causes during pregnancy or shortly after, per 100,000 live births. The World Bank values are modeled estimates, because many of these countries lack complete death registration, so they carry wider uncertainty than reported counts. This page shows the highest ratios among countries with more than 1 million people, and the chart runs from 2000 to 2023. Afghanistan (521) and Guinea (494) are also among the ten highest.

The data

Source: World Bank, World Development Indicators (SH.STA.MMRT), maternal deaths per 100,000 live births (modeled estimate); countries over 1 million people. Retrieved November 4, 2026.

Highest maternal mortality rates, Maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, 2000–2023
Date🇳🇬 Nigeria🇹🇩 Chad🇸🇸 South Sudan🇨🇫 Central African Republic🇱🇷 Liberia🇸🇴 Somalia, Fed. Rep.🇦🇫 Afghanistan🇧🇯 Benin🇬🇼 Guinea-Bissau🇬🇳 Guinea🇱🇸 Lesotho🇸🇱 Sierra Leone🇳🇪 Niger🇷🇼 Rwanda🇪🇹 Ethiopia🇸🇿 Eswatini
20001,1361,2081,6581,4907861,1501,3725291,2959514131,603845885870361
20011,1301,2041,5801,5047201,1291,3115321,2229464651,518843769856307
20021,1171,1991,5211,4967001,1211,2635341,1419164841,492835677826331
20031,0901,1701,1991,4877591,1111,2015321,0698925081,433813551797392
20041,0751,1671,1501,4506451,1041,1665319808694991,366790460764451
20051,0601,1891,0741,3896191,0861,1085149568435491,294764465754529
20061,0671,2201,0051,3376471,0851,0695098318256961,168737494729511
20071,0631,2409331,2716591,0741,0325017928028911,132704494704647
20081,0811,2648581,2346631,0359555638027721,2051,093669454678766
20091,0881,2858231,2726749959255987537661,3871,054647418649855
20101,0941,2847761,2307121,0628936076987501,3111,018621393619752
20111,1081,2647701,1317269728386136787281,210967585358588765
20121,1241,2457551,0927288948106187047031,000915554331545613
20131,1461,2167711,092725855778607707682855842526317494491
20141,1551,1981,2161,034801816755605662664707821497301444369
20151,1681,1761,436981784784741606631642594730473292401283
20161,1551,1331,629962690754702604617606518633450278364213
20171,1421,0851,6621,093703716659592597582468578433275327151
20181,1181,020913881707727629585585560491491420269297133
20191,0919587451,65068965660157259854846746440626126996
20201,0658777291,296664655634578603528529422388252244102
20211,0468697491,127667726660584617533577403396254250219
20221,016775704841634622551547539500477370361234207112
2023993748692692628563521518505494478354350229195118

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Frequently asked questions

Which country has the highest maternal mortality rate?

Nigeria has the highest maternal mortality ratio in the latest data, at 993 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023. Chad is second at 748, and the Central African Republic and South Sudan are tied for third at 692.

What does maternal mortality ratio mean?

It is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes per 100,000 live births in a year. The values here are modeled estimates from the World Bank, not direct counts.

Has maternal mortality fallen since 2000?

In the countries at the top, it has fallen substantially. South Sudan's modeled ratio was 1,658 in 2000, and it is 692 in 2023. Afghanistan (1,372 to 521) and Guinea-Bissau (1,295 to 505) show similar declines.

Where does this data come from?

World Bank, World Development Indicators (SH.STA.MMRT), maternal deaths per 100,000 live births (modeled estimate); countries over 1 million people. Retrieved November 4, 2026. You can download the full table as a CSV from this page.

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