The report found that 1,205 people died of maternal causes in the U.S. in 2021. That represents a 40% increase from the previous year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Health Statistics released a Health e-Stats report titled “Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2021.” The report presents new data on 2021 maternal mortality rates in the United States, showing a significant increase in maternal mortality compared to 2019 and 2020 rates.
The maternal mortality rate in 2021 was 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, which is a significant increase from the rate of 23.8 in 2020 and 20.1 in 2019.
The increase in maternal mortality rates between 2020 and 2021 was significant across all race groups. The number of maternal deaths among Black women was significantly higher than rates for White and Hispanic women, as illustrated below in the chart.
Media highlights include:
— CNN: “US maternal death rate rose sharply in 2021, CDC data shows, and experts worry the problem is getting worse“