Ma'anar ƙamus na kalmar "yawan mace-macen jarirai" yana nufin adadin mace-macen jarirai 'yan ƙasa da shekara ɗaya a cikin 1,000 da aka haifa a cikin wani yanki ko yanki a cikin ƙayyadadden lokaci, yawanci shekara guda. Ma'auni ne na yanayin kiwon lafiya da jin daɗin jama'a, kuma galibi ana amfani da shi don kwatanta sakamakon kiwon lafiya na ƙasashe ko yankuna daban-daban. Yawan mace-macen jarirai ya nuna cewa adadin jarirai masu yawa a cikin al’umma na mutuwa kafin ranar haihuwarsu ta farko, wanda hakan na iya zama alamar rashin isasshiyar lafiya, rashin abinci mai gina jiki, ko wasu abubuwan da ke shafar lafiyar iyaye mata da jarirai.