Puerto Rico (US): Maternal mortality ratio (national estimate, per 100,000 live births)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2022, Puerto Rico (US)'s maternal mortality ratio (national estimate, per 100,000 live births) fell 4.9 on 2021 (from 36.3 to 31.4).

Across the 26 yearly changes before that (1996 to 2021), the average change was +0.85 and a typical year strayed about 11.61 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 20.5 in 2021 and the biggest yearly fall was 18.6 in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2013 to 2022 the straight-line trend is upward, about 2.49 a year. A straight line explains 48% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2022, Puerto Rico (US) had the 10th highest value of the 14 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Puerto Rico (US) in the 2022 ranking

• Mexico — 7th of 14: 38.21
• Argentina — 8th of 14: 34.3
• Sri Lanka — 9th of 14: 33
• Nicaragua — 11th of 14: 31.2
• United States — 12th of 14: 22.3
• Chile — 13th of 14: 14.2

What this measures

Maternal mortality ratio is the number of women who die from pregnancy-related causes while pregnant or within 42 days of pregnancy termination per 100,000 live births.

Limitations: Maternal mortality ratios are generally of unknown reliability, as are many other cause-specific mortality indicators. The ratios cannot be assumed to provide an exact estimate of maternal mortality. Maternal mortality ratios collected directly from Demographic and Health Surveys are presented in the survey year, but reference time of these maternal mortality ratios is for the seven years preceding the survey.

All 28 values

Maternal mortality ratio (national estimate, per 100,000 live births) in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 0 (2022)
• Argentina — 34.3 (2022)
• Aruba — 0 (2019)
• Bahamas, The — 212.1 (2022)
• Barbados — 178.3 (2023)
• Belize — 78.83 (2023)
• Brazil — 57.7 (2022)
• British Virgin Islands — 415 (2023)
• Cayman Islands

More health data for Puerto Rico (US)

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 2.74% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 3.24% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 174,237 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 10.33% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 183,727 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 12.26% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 357,964 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 11.24% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 3.28% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Puerto Rico (US)'s maternal mortality ratio (national estimate, per 100,000 live births)?

31.4 in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1995?

It is up 121.13% from 14.2 in 1995 (2.98% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 36.3 in 2021 and the lowest 2.6 in 2012.

How does Puerto Rico (US) rank?

10th highest of 14 economies with data for 2022.

Is the latest change in maternal mortality ratio (national estimate, per 100,000 live births) unusual for Puerto Rico (US)?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SH.STA.MMRT.NE, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG), World Health Organization (WHO), note: The country data compiled, adjusted and used in the estimation model by the Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (MMEIG). Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.