The number of women dying during or shortly after pregnancy in the UK has risen by 20% over the past 14 years, despite a Conservative government pledge to halve maternal deaths.
Figures from MBRRACE-UK, a research programme led by the University of Oxford, show that maternal mortality increased between 2009–11 and 2022–24, instead of falling as promised. In 2015, former health secretary Jeremy Hunt vowed to cut maternal deaths by half by 2030, later bringing the target forward to 2025.
Experts described the latest findings as deeply troubling. While deaths linked to pre-existing conditions worsened by pregnancy rose only slightly, deaths directly connected to pregnancy complications jumped by 52%.
These include deaths from bleeding, blood clots and pre-eclampsia—conditions that are often treatable if detected early. Blood clots were identified as the leading cause of death.
Professor Marian Knight, who leads the MBRRACE-UK programme, said the trend was very concerning, especially as pressure on maternity services remains high.
The report also highlighted serious inequalities. Black women were almost three times more likely to die than white women, while Asian women also faced higher risks. Women living in the most deprived areas were nearly twice as likely to die as those in the least deprived communities, and women aged 35 and above faced significantly higher risks than younger mothers.
The Royal College of Midwives said overstretched maternity services and long-standing underinvestment were putting lives at risk. It warned that without proper funding and staffing, preventable maternal deaths would continue.
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