Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2021

Introduction

• The report presents maternal mortality rates for 2021 based on data from the National Vital Statistics System.
• Definition of maternal death by WHO: Death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, not from accidental causes.
• Maternal mortality rates: number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, divided by age group, race, and Hispanic origin.

Key Findings

• Overall Rates:

  • 2021 saw 1,205 maternal deaths, up from 861 in 2020 and 754 in 2019.
  • Maternal mortality rate: 32.9 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021, compared to 23.8 in 2020 and 20.1 in 2019.

• By Race and Hispanic Origin:

  • Non-Hispanic Black women: 69.9 deaths per 100,000 live births, 2.6 times higher than non-Hispanic White women (26.6).
  • Significant increase in rates for all race and Hispanic origin groups from 2020 to 2021.

• By Age Group:

  • Women <25 years: 20.4 deaths per 100,000 live births.
  • Women 25-39 years: 31.3 deaths per 100,000 live births.
  • Women 40+ years: 138.5 deaths per 100,000 live births, 6.8 times higher than women <25.
  • Statistically significant differences in rates between age groups and increases from 2020 to 2021.

Data Sources and Methods

• Data from the National Vital Statistics System mortality file.
• Maternal deaths classified under ICD-10 codes A34, O00-O95, and O98-O99.
• Rates calculated per 100,000 live births using data from the natality file.
• Ongoing efforts to improve data quality and accuracy due to fluctuations and reporting issues.

Figures and Tables

• Table 1: Number of live births, maternal deaths, and rates by race, Hispanic origin, and age (2018-2021).
• Figure 1: Maternal mortality rates by race and Hispanic origin (2018-2021).
• Figure 2: Maternal mortality rates by age group (2018-2021).

References

• Key references include WHO classification, previous 2020 report by Hoyert DL, and the National Center for Health Statistics reports.

Suggested Citation

• Hoyert DL. Maternal mortality rates in the United States, 2021. NCHS Health E-Stats. 2023.

• Reviewed on March 16, 2023, by the National Center for Health Statistics.
• For more information, visit the CDC's website and its publications on maternal mortality.