Maternal deaths in Australia 2003-2005 is the fourteenth report on why women die during pregnancy and childbirth. The report is an observational study of maternal deaths in Australia. This report is produced by the AIHW National Perinatal Statistics Unit based at the University of New South Wales and funded by the Australian Commission for Quality and Safety in Healthcare. It will be particularly useful for researchers, policy makers, health service planners and those providing services in reproductive health.