Maternal mortality is an important global health issue. The third Sustainable Development Goal aims to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio (MMR) to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030 (United Nations, 2015). The World Health Organization (WHO) has set a supplementary national target for countries to reduce the MMR to no greater than 140 per 100,000 live births (WHO, 2015).

The census provides a cost-effective opportunity to measure maternal mortality in countries without a comprehensive vital registration system. Household deaths in the past 12 months is a core topic in the United Nations’ Principles and Recommendations for Population and Housing Censuses. Maternal mortality can be measured directly by adding four follow-up questions to the household mortality questions in the census questionnaire. The census is also one of the few ways to obtain subnational measures of maternal mortality. Further, census mortality data can be used to assess the completeness of death registration and maternal deaths.

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