The study reported that the country's maternal mortality ratio stood at 116 deaths per one lakh live births in 2023.

India Records 24,700 Maternal Deaths in 2023, Among High-Burden Nations: Study

India recorded an estimated 24,700 maternal deaths in 2023, placing it among countries with a high burden of mortality during childbirth, according to a new global analysis published in The Lancet Obstetrics, Gynaecology & Women’s Health.

The study reported that the country’s maternal mortality ratio stood at 116 deaths per one lakh live births in 2023. Globally, around 2.4 lakh maternal deaths were recorded during the year, translating to a rate of 190.5 per one lakh live births, a decline from 321 in 1990.

The analysis, led by researchers at the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington and global collaborators, assessed trends across 204 countries and territories under the Global Burden of Disease 2023 framework.

While maternal mortality has declined over the past three decades, the pace of reduction has slowed in recent years, the researchers noted. The study also found that South Asia and sub-Saharan Africa continue to account for the highest burden.

Comparative estimates showed that Pakistan recorded about 10,300 maternal deaths in 2023, while Ethiopia and Nigeria reported 11,900 and 32,900 deaths respectively.

In India, the latest Sample Registration System data for 2021–23 placed the maternal mortality ratio at 88 per one lakh live births. Government sources said the country has achieved an 86 per cent decline in maternal mortality since 1990, significantly higher than the global average reduction of 48 per cent.

Experts highlighted that improved prenatal care, safe delivery services and emergency obstetric care remain critical to reducing maternal deaths further.