Maternal mortality is unacceptably high. About 287 000 women died during and following pregnancy and childbirth in 2020. Almost 95% of all maternal deaths occurred in low and lower middle-income countries in 2020, and most could have been prevented.
Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) regions and sub-regions are used here. Sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia accounted for around 87% (253 000) of the estimated global maternal deaths in 2020. Sub-Saharan Africa alone accounted for around 70% of maternal deaths (202 000), while Southern Asia accounted for around 16% (47 000).
At the same time, between 2000 and 2020, Eastern Europe and Southern Asia achieved the greatest overall reduction in maternal mortality ratio (MMR): a decline of 70% (from an MMR of 38 to 11) and 67% (from an MMR of 408 down to 134), respectively.
Despite its very high MMR in 2020, Sub-Saharan Africa also achieved a substantial reduction in MMR of 33% between 2000 and 2020. Four SDG sub-regions roughly halved their MMRs during this period: Eastern Africa, Central Asia,
Eastern Asia, and Northern Africa and Western Europe reduced their MMR by around one third. Overall, the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) in least-developed countries* declined by just under 50%. In land locked developing countries the MMR decreased by 50% (from 729 to 368). In small island developing countries the MMR declined by 19% (from 254 to 206).
