The number of women in the Netherlands dying during or shortly after childbirth has fallen 59% since 2000, according to new figures from Save the Children.

In 2000, maternal mortality was 1 in 4,400, but this has dropped to 1 in 10,500, according to the organisation.

The Netherlands is the only country where figures have always been good that shows such a big improvement. Save the Children says it does not know what accounts for the fall.

Rising mortality

In fact, maternal mortality is rising in western countries as the result of several factors ranging from high blood pressure and obesity to the rising age of women at childbirth and increasing numbers of multiple births due to infertility treatment.

In the ranking of the safest countries in which to give birth published by Save the Children each year, the Netherlands is in fifth place.

Top of the list is Finland. The top ten is made up of European countries and Australia. The US is at number 31, and bottom of the list is Somalia where 1 in 16 women die during childbirth.