Tonga: Maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Tonga's maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births) fell 5 on 2022 (from 72 to 67).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was −1.9 and a typical year strayed about 2.38 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 3 in 2009 and the biggest yearly fall was 7 in 1998. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 1.13 a year. A straight line explains 78% 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.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 66.6 for 2026. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2021 to 2023 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 2.76, against 3.67 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

In 2023, Tonga had the 80th highest value of the 194 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 Tonga in the 2023 ranking

• Belize — 80th of 194: 67
• Brazil — 81st of 194: 67
• Korea, Dem. People's Rep. — 82nd of 194: 67
• Iraq — 84th of 194: 66
• Mauritius — 85th of 194: 66
• Algeria — 86th of 194: 62

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. The data are estimated with a regression model using information on the proportion of maternal deaths among non-AIDS deaths in women ages 15-49, fertility, birth attendants, and GDP measured using purchasing power parities (PPPs).

Limitations: The methodology differs from that used for previous estimates, so data should not be compared historically. 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.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 39 values

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

• Australia — 2 (2023)
• Brunei Darussalam — 36 (2023)
• Cambodia — 137 (2023)
• China — 16 (2023)
• Fiji — 30 (2023)
• Indonesia — 140 (2023)
• Japan — 3 (2023)
• Kiribati — 80 (2023)
• Korea, Dem. People's Rep.

More health data for Tonga

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 10.14% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 12.24% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 17,516 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 32% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 18,710 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 38.18% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 36,226 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 34.92% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 10.35% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, male (% of male population)

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 Tonga's maternal mortality ratio (modeled estimate, per 100,000 live births)?

67 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1985?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SH.STA.MMRT, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Trends in Maternal Mortality, World Health Organization (WHO), uri: https://www.who.int/news/item/23-02-2023-a-woman-dies-every-two-minutes-due-to-pregnancy-or-childbirth--un-agencies; UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), note: Trends in Maternal Mortality; UN Population Fund (UNFPA), note: Trends in Matern… 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.

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