Global maternal deaths have declined over the past three decades, yet progress has slowed in recent years and remains uneven across countries, according to new Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2023 research published today in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology, & Women’s Health.
The study estimates that 240,000 women died from maternal causes in 2023, accounting for 5.5% of all deaths among women aged 10-54 worldwide. Maternal deaths remain concentrated in regions facing the greatest health system and data challenges, particularly across sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and parts of the Caribbean. In 2023, Nigeria, India, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ethiopia, and Pakistan recorded the highest numbers of maternal deaths worldwide.
The analysis, led by…