New Delhi: India has moved significantly closer to its 2030 maternal health goal, with the Union Health Ministry announcing on Thursday that the country’s maternal mortality ratio (MMR) now stands at 88 per one lakh live births. The figure, from the latest Sample Registration System (SRS) data covering 2021-23, reflects decades of steady progress in making pregnancies and childbirth safer for women across the country.
The Ministry said India’s progress is globally recognised. According to the latest United Nations Maternal Mortality Estimation Inter-Agency Group (UN-MMEIG) report, India has achieved an 86 percent reduction in MMR since 1990, which far exceeds the global average of 48 percent. The announcement underscores the country’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goal benchmark of bringing MMR below 70 by 2030.
The numbers behind the decline
The scale of the transformation becomes clear in a recent global analysis published in The Lancet. India’s maternal mortality ratio fell from 508 per one lakh live births in 1990 to 116 in 2023, a decline of nearly 79 percent over three decades. In absolute terms, the total number of maternal deaths dropped from about 1,19,000 in 1990 to 24,700 in 2023.
Researchers, led by those from the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME) at the University of Washington along with global collaborators, found that the steepest part of the decline came between 2000 and 2015. Public health experts attribute the gains to the expansion of institutional deliveries, improved antenatal care, emergency obstetric services and targeted maternal health programmes that brought more births into the formal health system.
There is a small but important caveat about the numbers. The Lancet’s estimate of 116 for 2023 uses global modelling, while India’s own SRS, the country’s primary source of fertility and mortality rates, puts the official figure at 88 for 2021-23. The UN-MMEIG’s own estimate for 2023 sits at 80. The direction of travel is identical in all three datasets, even if the exact figures differ because of methodology.
How India compares with the world
The global picture still has work ahead. India records the second-highest number of maternal deaths in the world at 24,700, after Nigeria at 32,900, with Pakistan and Ethiopia also in the high-burden group. Just five countries, Nigeria, India, Ethiopia, Pakistan and Cameroon, account for over a third of all maternal deaths worldwide.
Researchers note that though maternal deaths have declined over the past three decades, progress has slowed in recent years and remains uneven across countries. India has already achieved the National Health Policy target of reducing MMR below 100, and officials say the focus now is on the last stretch to the 2030 goal.
The unfinished half of the story
The national average hides deep regional divides. While southern states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu are on course to meet the 2030 target, states such as Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh remain high-burden. Demographers point out that unless maternal mortality falls in these large states, the global SDG goals for maternal health will also stay out of reach.
Most maternal deaths are caused by preventable conditions, including severe bleeding, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and infections. Delays in accessing care, uneven quality of services and inequitable access, especially for low-income and rural women, continue to drive the numbers in weaker regions.
Public health experts say the next phase of the fight will need targeted action: stronger primary healthcare systems with a focus on maternal and child health, wider access to antenatal, emergency obstetric and postnatal services, and sustained investment in the states where the burden is heaviest.
FAQs
What is maternal mortality ratio (MMR)?
MMR measures the number of maternal deaths per one lakh live births. It is one of the most widely used indicators of how well a country’s health system protects women during pregnancy and childbirth.
What is India’s current MMR?
As per the latest SRS data for 2021-23, India’s MMR is 88 per one lakh live births. The UN-MMEIG estimates it at 80 for 2023, while the Lancet’s modelled estimate is 116. All three show the same long-term decline.
What is the 2030 target?
Under the Sustainable Development Goals, countries are expected to bring MMR below 70 per one lakh live births by 2030. India has already met the earlier National Health Policy target of below 100.
What drove the decline?
The steepest fall came between 2000 and 2015, driven by more institutional deliveries, better antenatal care, emergency obstetric services and targeted maternal health programmes.
Which states need the most work?
Kerala and Tamil Nadu are on course for 2030, but Assam, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh remain high-burden states that will decide whether the national target is met.
For millions of Indian mothers, the figures translate into something simple: pregnancy has never been safer than it is today. Keeping it that way will be the real test of the next decade.
