Tonga: Number of maternal deaths

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Tonga's number of maternal deaths did not change 0% on 2022 (from 2 to 2).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was −1.9% and a typical year strayed about 7.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly fall was 33.3% in 2011. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

How it compares

In 2023, Tonga had the 157th 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

• Maldives — 165th of 194: 2
• Puerto Rico (US) — 166th of 194: 2
• Slovak Republic — 167th of 194: 2
• Barbados — 169th of 194: 1
• Belarus — 170th of 194: 1
• Croatia — 171st of 194: 1

What this measures

A maternal death refers to the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the duration and site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management but not from accidental or incidental causes.

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 figures cannot be assumed to provide exact estimates.

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

All 39 values

Number of maternal deaths in nearby economies

• Australia — 7 (2023)
• Brunei Darussalam — 2 (2023)
• Cambodia — 500 (2023)
• China — 1,400 (2023)
• Fiji — 5 (2023)
• Indonesia — 6,300 (2023)
• Japan — 23 (2023)
• Kiribati — 3 (2023)
• Korea, Dem. People's Rep. — 230 (2023)
• Korea, Rep. — 9 (2023)
• Lao PDR — 180 (2023)
• Malaysia

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 number of maternal deaths?

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

How has it changed since 1985?

It is down 60% from 5 in 1985 (2.38% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 5 in 1985 and the lowest 2 in 2011.

How does Tonga rank?

157th highest of 194 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in number of maternal deaths unusual for Tonga?

In 2023, Tonga's number of maternal deaths did not change 0% on 2022 (from 2 to 2). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was −1.9% and a typical year strayed about 7.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SH.MMR.DTHS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: 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; World Bank Group (WBG), note: Trends in Maternal Mortality 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.