Countries in Oceania Ranked by Maternal mortality ratio (2023)
Maternal mortality ratio: each country's latest value (2018–2023), ranked from highest to lowest. Source: The World Bank (CC BY 4.0).
Summary
Naoero ranks #1 with 273 deaths per 100,000 live births. Papua New Guinea is second with 189 deaths per 100,000 live births, 44.4% behind. The top five are Naoero, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, Marshall Islands and Micronesia, Fed. Sts.. The median across all 14 is 100.5 deaths per 100,000 live births; Australia is last at 2 deaths per 100,000 live births. Naoero's figure has fallen 1% since 1999 (277 deaths per 100,000 live births to 273 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023).
- #1
- Naoero · 273 deaths per 100,000 live births
- Median
- 100.5 deaths per 100,000 live births
- Coverage
- 14 countries in Oceania
- Data year
- 2023
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
| Rank | Country | Maternal mortality ratio (deaths per 100,000 live births) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Naoero | 273 |
| 2 | Papua New Guinea | 189 |
| 3 | Tuvalu | 170 |
| 4 | Marshall Islands | 155 |
| 5 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | 129 |
| 6 | Solomon Islands | 123 |
| 7 | Samoa | 101 |
| 8 | Vanuatu | 100 |
| 9 | Palau | 89 |
| 10 | Kiribati | 80 |
| 11 | Tonga | 67 |
| 12 | Fiji | 30 |
| 13 | New Zealand | 7 |
| 14 | Australia | 2 |
About the top 10
#1 Naoero
Naoero ranks #1 on this list with 273 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Yaren District
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 12,025 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$176.04 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$14,640 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 62.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 100% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in government revenue share of gdp · #2 in health expenditure share of gdp · #8 in atms per 100,000 adults.
#2 Papua New Guinea
Papua New Guinea ranks #2 on this list with 189 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Port Moresby
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 10.76 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$32.5 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$3,020 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 15.8% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in rural population share · #5 in water resources per capita · #6 in smoking prevalence.
#3 Tuvalu
Tuvalu ranks #3 on this list with 170 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Funafuti
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 9,492 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$57.35 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$6,041 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 65.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in agricultural land share · #1 in health expenditure share of gdp · #1 in literacy rate.
#4 Marshall Islands
Marshall Islands ranks #4 on this list with 155 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Majuro
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 36,282 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$308 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$8,489 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.1 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 79.1% of population (2025)
Also ranks #2 in diabetes prevalence · #5 in health expenditure share of gdp · #5 in completion rate (lower secondary).
#5 Micronesia, Fed. Sts.
Micronesia, Fed. Sts. ranks #5 on this list with 129 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Palikir
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 113,680 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$501.8 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,414 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 67.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 22.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in forest area share · #3 in education expenditure share of gdp · #7 in health expenditure share of gdp.
#6 Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands ranks #6 on this list with 123 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Honiara
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 838,650 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.75 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,086 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 70.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 31.3% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in forest rents share of gdp · #2 in female labour force participation · #3 in labour force participation rate.
#7 Samoa
Samoa ranks #7 on this list with 101 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Apia
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Upper middle income
- Population
- 219,310 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.29 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$5,873 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.8 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 17.5% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in rural population share · #4 in diabetes prevalence · #16 in age dependency ratio.
#8 Vanuatu
Vanuatu ranks #8 on this list with 100 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Port Vila
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 335,170 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$1.35 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$4,039 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 71.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 22.3% of population (2025)
Also ranks #6 in school enrolment (secondary) · #6 in completion rate (primary) · #9 in rural population share.
#9 Palau
Palau ranks #9 on this list with 89 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Ngerulmud
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- High income
- Population
- 17,663 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$345 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$19,532 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 69.4 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 79.3% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in co2 emissions per capita · #2 in protected marine area share · #4 in forest area share.
#10 Kiribati
Kiribati ranks #10 on this list with 80 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- South Tarawa
- Continent
- Oceania
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 136,490 people (2025)
- GDP
- US$349.23 million (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$2,559 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 66.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 63.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in education expenditure share of gdp · #2 in government revenue share of gdp · #3 in income share of poorest 10%.
Profile facts: World Bank (CC BY 4.0) and Wikidata (CC0); weather links go to Purr Weather, another ChowChow Labs site.
Source and method
Maternal mortality ratio: each country's latest value (2018–2023), ranked from highest to lowest.
Source: The World Bank, indicator SH.STA.MMRT. Licence: CC BY 4.0. Retrieved: 2026-11-14.
The World Bank: Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births): Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO) (via World Development Indicators)
Original data provider, as recorded by the World Bank: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO); UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), note: Trends in Maternal Mortality; UN Population Fund (UNFPA), note: Trends in Maternal Mortality.
Values are shown as published. Provider terms: The World Bank. All licences: Sources & licences.