US maternal mortality is far higher than that of other rich nations, study reports

The US continues to have the highest maternal mortality among 14 rich industrialised countries, says a report from the Commonwealth Fund, an independent research organisation focusing on improving healthcare.1

The US spends more on healthcare than any other high income country “but has much worse maternal health outcomes,” the report says. In 2022, 22 US women died for every 100 000 live births, compared with 0 in Norway, 1.2 in Switzerland, 3.5 in Australia, 5.5 in the UK, 8.4 in Canada, and 8.8 in Korea. About 80% of the deaths were preventable, the report says. It used data from the US Centers for Disease Control …