Countries with the highest maternal death risk in 2026

Maternal health has improved dramatically over the last four decades, but the progress is not shared evenly. 

Using the most recent globally comparable estimates available as of 2026 (WHO/UN modelled figures for 2023), the world’s average maternal mortality ratio (MMR) fell from about 460 deaths per 100,000 live births in 1985 to 197 in 2023.

MMR is a blunt but important metric: it captures the risk of a woman dying from pregnancy- or childbirth-related causes, relative to the number of live births.

The 10 most dangerous countries to give birth (latest data used in 2026)

Below are the highest maternal mortality ratios (deaths per 100,000 live births), based on the latest available 2023 estimates:

Nigeria — 993
Nigeria ranks highest globally. The scale of the problem is not only the ratio; it also translates into a very large number of maternal deaths because of the country’s population size.

Chad — 748
Low coverage of prenatal care and skilled birth attendance remains a defining challenge

South Sudan — 692
Even where national averages show improvement over time, pockets of extreme risk persist in remote or conflict-affected areas.

Central African Republic — 692
Conflict has damaged facilities, staffing, and referral systems, exactly the infrastructure needed for obstetric emergencies.

Liberia — 628
Liberia has made progress over time, but epidemics and health-system shocks have repeatedly interrupted momentum.

Somalia — 563
Somalia’s risk remains among the world’s worst, reflecting a system still rebuilding amid protracted instability.

Afghanistan — 521
A major driver is limited access to skilled care for births, especially outside major cities and for poorer households.

Benin — 518
Benin stands out for showing signs of backsliding in recent years, highlighting how fragile maternal-health gains can be.

Guinea-Bissau — 505
Capacity gaps in specialist maternal care continue to weigh heavily, particularly for high-risk deliveries.

Guinea — 494
Guinea remains high-risk, even though the country’s long-term direction has improved compared with earlier decades.

Why these countries stay at the top of the risk list

Across the ten countries, the pattern is consistent:

• Weak frontline health systems: shortages of midwives, nurses, blood supplies, essential medicines, and functioning theatres for emergency C-sections.
  
• Low skilled birth attendance: when fewer births happen in facilities with trained professionals, treatable complications become fatal.
  
• Conflict and displacement: insecurity breaks referral routes, destroys clinics, and pushes women to deliver far from care.
  
• Epidemic and funding shocks: crises like Ebola and COVID-19 can stall or reverse gains by overwhelming services and disrupting supply chains.
  

What you should know

The world can point to real progress, global maternal mortality is far lower than it was decades ago. But in 2026, countries like Nigeria, Chad, and South Sudan still represent the sharp end of global inequality in maternal health, where giving birth can remain life-threatening mainly because timely, skilled care is not reliably available when it matters most.