Countries 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
Nigeria ranks #1 with 993 deaths per 100,000 live births. Chad is second with 748 deaths per 100,000 live births, 32.8% behind. The top five are Nigeria, Chad, Central African Republic, South Sudan and Liberia. The median across all 194 is 47 deaths per 100,000 live births; Norway is last at 1 deaths per 100,000 live births. Nigeria's figure has fallen 15% since 1999 (1,165 deaths per 100,000 live births to 993 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023).
- #1
- Nigeria · 993 deaths per 100,000 live births
- Median
- 47 deaths per 100,000 live births
- Coverage
- 194 countries
- Data year
- 2023
- Last updated
- 2026-11-14
Full ranking
Showing the top 100 of 194. Premium downloads the full list as CSV or JSON.
About the top 10
#1 Nigeria
Nigeria ranks #1 on this list with 993 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Abuja
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 237.53 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$290.79 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,224 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 54.6 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 63.8% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Lagos, Kano, Port Harcourt.
Also ranks #1 in under-5 mortality rate · #1 in children out of school (primary) · #2 in infant mortality rate.
#2 Chad
Chad ranks #2 on this list with 748 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- N'Djamena
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 21 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$21.47 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,022 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 55.2 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 27.6% of population (2025)
Largest cities: N'Djamena.
Also ranks #1 in fertility rate · #2 in birth rate · #4 in population ages 0-14 share.
#3 Central African Republic
Central African Republic ranks #3 on this list with 692 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Bangui
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 5.51 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$3.07 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$556.1 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 57.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 44.6% of population (2025)
Also ranks #1 in population ages 0-14 share · #1 in age dependency ratio · #1 in age dependency ratio (young).
#4 South Sudan
South Sudan ranks #4 on this list with 692 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Juba
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 12.19 million people (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 57.7 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 21.7% of population (2025)
- Currency
- South Sudanese pound
- Official languages
- English
Also ranks #1 in infant mortality rate · #4 in inflation rate · #4 in refugee population by origin.
#5 Liberia
Liberia ranks #5 on this list with 628 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Monrovia
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 5.73 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$5.25 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$915.3 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 62.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 56.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Monrovia.
Also ranks #2 in forest rents share of gdp · #3 in renewable energy share · #5 in infant mortality rate.
#6 Somalia, Fed. Rep.
Somalia, Fed. Rep. ranks #6 on this list with 563 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Mogadishu
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 19.66 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$13 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$661.2 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 59 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 55.1% of population (2025)
Largest cities: North East State of Somalia, Mogadishu.
Also ranks #1 in prevalence of undernourishment · #2 in population ages 0-14 share · #2 in age dependency ratio (young).
#7 Afghanistan
Afghanistan ranks #7 on this list with 521 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Kabul
- Continent
- Asia
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 43.84 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$17.78 billion (2024)
- GDP per person
- US$416.9 (2024)
- Life expectancy
- 66.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 25.9% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Kabul.
Also ranks #1 in refugee population by origin · #4 in health expenditure share of gdp · #6 in agriculture value added share of gdp.
#8 Benin
Benin ranks #8 on this list with 518 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Porto-Novo
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 14.81 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$24.57 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,658 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 61 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 53.4% of population (2025)
Also ranks #10 in female labour force participation · #10 in livestock production index · #10 in gross capital formation rate.
#9 Guinea-Bissau
Guinea-Bissau ranks #9 on this list with 505 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Bissau
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Low income
- Population
- 2.25 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$2.53 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,124 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 64.3 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 46.7% of population (2025)
Also ranks #3 in agriculture value added share of gdp · #5 in forest rents share of gdp · #7 in low-birthweight babies share.
#10 Guinea
Guinea ranks #10 on this list with 494 deaths per 100,000 live births.
- Capital
- Conakry
- Continent
- Africa
- Income group
- Lower middle income
- Population
- 15.1 million people (2025)
- GDP
- US$28.35 billion (2025)
- GDP per person
- US$1,877 (2025)
- Life expectancy
- 60.9 years (2024)
- Urban population
- 38.5% of population (2025)
Largest cities: Conakry.
Also ranks #6 in under-5 mortality rate · #7 in infant mortality rate · #7 in official exchange rate.
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.