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Maternal death rates in the UK 20% higher in 2022-24 than 2009-11

The latest set of data presented by the MBRRACE-UK Collaboration investigation into maternal deaths in the UK shows that the mortality rate for women who died during or soon after pregnancy between 2022 and 2024 was 20% higher than the maternal death rate between 2009 and 2011, when the UK government set an ambition to halve the rate of maternal deaths in England by 2025.

Deaths due to COVID-19 have had a minimal impact on this figure, emphasising the importance of a renewed focus on efforts to tackle maternal mortality. The rate of direct maternal deaths, due to conditions occurring as a result of pregnancy, including blood clots, bleeding and pre-eclampsia, increased by 52%. Indirect maternal deaths, caused by pre-existing conditions exacerbated by pregnancy or care received during pregnancy are largely unchanged, increasing by 3% over this time.

This investigation, which is led by Oxford Population Health’s National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit, includes data on all women in the UK who died between January 2022 and December 2024 during pregnancy or within six weeks after their pregnancy had ended. These data have been published ahead of the full Saving Lives, Improving Mothers’ Care confidential enquiry report, which will be published in September of this year.

The key data show that:

  • In 2022-24, 252 women died from direct or indirect causes during or soon after pregnancy among 1,969,321 maternities, meaning that the rate of maternal death for this period was 12.80 per 100,000 maternities. This is not statistically significantly* different when compared with the maternal death rate in 2021-23 (12.82 deaths per 100,000 maternities);
  • The number of deaths due to COVID-19 dropped significantly with only six women dying from COVID-19 complications in 2022-24. When deaths due to COVID-19 were excluded, rates of overall and indirect maternal deaths remained statistically significantly increased in 2022-24 compared to the corresponding rates in 2019-21, the last complete triennium;
  • Blood clots continued to be the leading cause of maternal death in the UK during pregnancy or up to six weeks after the end of pregnancy. Heart disease was the second most common cause of death, followed by mental health-related causes (suicide and substance use);
  • Maternal suicides remained the leading cause of maternal death occurring between six weeks and one year after the end of pregnancy. As a whole, deaths from mental health-related causes accounted for 33% of maternal deaths in this period;
  • Inequalities in maternal deaths remained in 2022-24. After slight decreases in the previous two overlapping triennia, the mortality rate for women in England from Black ethnic backgrounds increased in 2022-24 and was nearly three times higher than that of White women;
  • The mortality rate for women in England from Asian ethnic backgrounds was similar in 2022-24 and 2021-23. The risk of maternal death for Asian women in 2022-24 remained statistically non-significantly higher compared to White women;
  • Women living in the most deprived areas continued to have a maternal mortality rate nearly twice that of women living in the least deprived areas.

Professor Marian Knight, Director of the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit and MBRRACE-UK programme lead, said ‘These latest data highlight the need for a renewed focus on maternal mortality and the critical actions required to ensure safe and equitable maternity care for all women in the UK. While the change in the overall maternal mortality rate between 2021-23 and 2022-24 is not significantly different, a 20% increase in maternal deaths over a 15-year period is very concerning, especially as pressures on maternity services have not eased. The newly announced maternal care bundle in England, and similar initiatives in the devolved nations, are important next steps to reverse these trends.’ 

The data brief is published on the National Perinatal Epidemiology Unit website.

*Statistical non-significance means that the results of a study may be due to chance or influenced by other factors, so no strong conclusion can be drawn from them.