Stillbirth Rate by Country and World

This bar chart race shows the annual stillbirth rate by country and world, from 2000 to 2021, per 1,000 births.

A stillbirth rate is a critical health indicator that, in this case, measures the number of fetal deaths that occur in or after 28 weeks of pregnancy per 1,000 total births. It reflects the prevalence of pregnancies that do not result in a live birth and is a key parameter in assessing maternal and neonatal health, as well as healthcare system effectiveness in reducing stillbirths.

From 2000 to 2021, there has been a global effort to reduce the stillbirth rate. This rate decreased worldwide during this period, but significant regional disparities persisted. Many high-income countries saw substantial reductions in stillbirth rates due to improved healthcare infrastructure, access to prenatal care, and maternal education. Conversely, low-income and middle-income countries struggled to make similar progress, often facing challenges such as limited access to quality healthcare, malnutrition, and infectious diseases that can contribute to stillbirths.

Global health organizations and governments have made efforts to address this issue through initiatives like the Every Newborn Action Plan. Despite progress, more work is needed to ensure equitable access to healthcare and reduce stillbirth rates in underserved regions.

Data source: WHO

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Data visualization created with flourish.studio and AI