Between 2000 and 2020, maternal mortality rates declined significantly across most of the world, with 161 countries showing improvement while only 19 nations recorded increases. The global trend shows an impressive 44% reduction in maternal deaths. Low- and lower-middle-income countries led the improvement, with 46% reductions. Upper-middle-income and high-income nations achieved a 43% and a 42% decrease, respectively. However, the data reveals concerning counter-trends: nine high-income countries actually experienced increases in maternal deaths.

Each line represents a country's trajectory. Triangles pointing down show decreasing mortality rates (improvement),
while triangles pointing up show increasing rates. Triangle sizes are proportional to the number of countries for each trend.