Number of maternal deaths in China

China: Number of maternal deaths was 1,400 in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
1,400
Change on year
down 17.6%
World rank
34th
of 194 countries
All-time high
31,000
in 1986
All-time low
1,400
in 2023
Years of data
39
1985–2023

Number of maternal deaths in China, 1985–2023

010.0k20.0k30.0k1985200420231985: 30.0k1986: 31.0k1987: 31.0k1988: 28.0k1989: 28.0k1990: 29.0k1991: 21.0k1992: 18.0k1993: 16.0k1994: 15.0k1995: 14.0k1996: 12.0k1997: 11.0k1998: 10.0k1999: 9.7k2000: 9.8k2001: 8.7k2002: 8.2k2003: 7.6k2004: 7.4k2005: 7.0k2006: 6.7k2007: 6.5k2008: 6.7k2009: 6.3k2010: 6.0k2011: 5.8k2012: 6.1k2013: 5.4k2014: 5.3k2015: 4.6k2016: 4.5k2017: 4.3k2018: 3.4k2019: 3.1k2020: 2.3k2021: 2.2k2022: 1.7k2023: 1.4k

Source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).

Analysis

China recorded 1,400 for number of maternal deaths in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 39 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 17.6% on the previous year and down 74.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, number of maternal deaths in China peaked at 31,000 in 1986 and was at its lowest, 1,400, in 2023.

China ranks 34th of 194 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 29,600 28,000 31,000 5
1990s 15,570 9,700 29,000 10
2000s 7,490 6,300 9,800 10
2010s 4,850 3,100 6,100 10
2020s 1,900 1,400 2,300 4

Countries ranked near China

  1. 31 Yemen 1,600 compare
  2. 32 Malawi 1,500 compare
  3. 32 Philippines 1,500 compare
  4. 34 South Africa 1,400 compare
  5. 36 Mozambique 1,300 compare
  6. 36 Senegal 1,300 compare

See the full ranking of 241 places →

More health data for China

All data for China →

Frequently asked questions

What is number of maternal deaths in China?
Number of maternal deaths in China was 1,400 in 2023, according to Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO).
What is the highest number of maternal deaths recorded in China?
The highest recorded value was 31,000 in 1986.
What is the lowest number of maternal deaths recorded in China?
The lowest recorded value was 1,400 in 2023.
How does China rank for number of maternal deaths?
China ranks 34th out of 194 countries with data for 2023.
Is number of maternal deaths rising or falling in China?
Over the last ten years it is down 74.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this China data come from?
The figures come from Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO), published as part of Number of maternal deaths. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 39 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
Number of maternal deaths
Source
Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
241 places, 9,399 data points, 1985–2023
Last refreshed

A maternal death refers to the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.