NATIONAL CENTER FOR HEALTH STATISTICS

Health E-Stats
FEBRUARY

2022

Maternal Mortality Rates in the United States, 2020

by Donna L. Hoyert, Ph.D., Division of Vital Statistics

This report presents maternal mortality rates for 2020 based on data from the National Vital
Statistics System. A maternal death is defined by the World Health Organization as, “the death
of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of termination of pregnancy, irrespective of the
duration and the site of the pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy
or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes” (1). Maternal mortality rates,
which are the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, are shown in this report by age
group and race and Hispanic origin.

This report updates a previous one that showed maternal mortality rates for 2018 and 2019 (2).
In 2020, 861 women were identified as having died of maternal causes in the United States,
compared with 754 in 2019 (3). The maternal mortality rate for 2020 was 23.8 deaths per
100,000 live births compared with a rate of 20.1 in 2019 (Table).

In 2020, the maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women was 55.3 deaths per 100,000
live births, 2.9 times the rate for non-Hispanic White women (19.1) (Figure 1 and Table). Rates
for non-Hispanic Black women were significantly higher than rates for non-Hispanic White and
Hispanic women. The increases from 2019 to 2020 for non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic women
were significant. The observed increase from 2019 to 2020 for non-Hispanic White women was
not significant.

Rates increased with maternal age. Rates in 2020 were 13.8 deaths per 100,000 live births for
women under age 25, 22.8 for those aged 25–39, and 107.9 for those aged 40 and over (Figure 2
and Table). The rate for women aged 40 and over was 7.8 times higher than the rate for women
under age 25. Differences in the rates between age groups were statistically significant. Among
age groups, the increase in the rates between 2019 and 2020 for women aged 25–39 and 40 and
over were statistically significant.

Data sources and methods

Data are from the National Vital Statistics System mortality file (4). Consistent with previous
reports, the number of maternal deaths does not include all deaths occurring to pregnant or recently
pregnant women, but only those deaths with the underlying cause of death assigned to International
Statistical Classification of Diseases, 10th Revision code numbers A34, O00–O95, and O98–O99.
Maternal mortality rates are per 100,000 live births based on data from the National Vital Statistics
System natality file. Maternal mortality rates fluctuate from year to year because of the relatively
small number of these events, and possibly also due to issues associated with the reporting of
maternal deaths on death certificates (3). Efforts to improve data quality are continuous, and these
data will continue to be evaluated for possible errors.

NCHS reports can be downloaded from: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/index.htm.

NCHS Health E-Stats February 2022

References
1. World Health Organization. International statistical classification of diseases and related
health problems, 10th revision. 2008 ed. 2009.

2. Hoyert DL. Maternal mortality rates in the United States, 2019. NCHS Health E-Stats. 2021.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc:103855.

3. Hoyert DL, Miniño AM. Maternal mortality in the United States: Changes in coding,
publication, and data release, 2018. National Vital Statistics Reports; vol 69 no 2. Hyattsville,
MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2020.

4. Murphy SL, Kochanek KD, Xu JQ, Arias E. Mortality in the United States, 2020. NCHS
Data Brief, no 427. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2021.

Suggested citation
Hoyert DL. Maternal mortality rates in the United States, 2020. NCHS Health E-Stats. 2022.
DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:113967.

2 | Division of Vital Statistics

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Table. Number of live births, maternal deaths, and maternal mortality rates, by race and Hispanic origin and age:
United States, 2018–2020

2018 2019 2020

Race and Hispanic Maternal Maternal Maternal Maternal Maternal Maternal

origin and age Live births deaths mortality Live births deaths mortality Live births deaths mortality

Number Rate1 Number Rate1 Number Rate1

Total2 ������������������������������������� 3,791,712 658 17.4 3,747,540 754 20.1 3,613,647 861 23.8
Under 25��������������������������� 907,782 96 10.6 877,803 111 12.6 825,403 114 13.8
25–39��������������������������������� 2,756,974 458 16.6 2,739,976 544 19.9 2,658,445 607 22.8
40 and over����������������������� 126,956 104 81.9 129,761 98 75.5 129,799 140 107.9
Non-Hispanic White3����������� 1,956,413 291 14.9 1,915,912 343 17.9 1,843,432 352 19.1
Under 25 ��������������������������� 391,829 41 10.5 374,129 49 13.1 348,666 40 11.5
25–39��������������������������������� 1,504,888 207 13.8 1,480,595 248 16.8 1,433,839 253 17.6
40 and over����������������������� 59,696 43 72.0 61,188 46 75.2 60,927 59 96.8
Non-Hispanic Black3����������� 552,029 206 37.3 548,075 241 44.0 529,811 293 55.3
Under 25 ��������������������������� 176,243 27 15.3 169,853 32 18.8 159,541 46 28.8
25–39��������������������������������� 358,276 137 38.2 360,206 179 49.7 351,648 198 56.3
40 and over����������������������� 17,510 42 239.9 18,016 30 166.5 18,622 49 263.1
Hispanic��������������������������������� 886,210 105 11.8 886,467 112 12.6 866,713 158 18.2
Under 25 ��������������������������� 275,553 21 7.6 270,948 23 8.5 258,635 20 7.7
25–39��������������������������������� 579,553 72 12.4 584,109 71 12.2 576,690 111 19.2
40 and over����������������������� 31,104 12 * 31,410 18 * 31,388 27 86.0

* Rate does not meet National Center for Health Statistics standards of reliability.
1
Maternal mortality rates are deaths per 100,000 live births.
2
Total includes race and origin groups not shown separately, including women of multiple races and origin not stated.
3
Race groups are single race.
NOTES: Maternal deaths are those assigned to code numbers A34, O00–O95, and O98–O99 of the International Classification of Diseases,
10th Revision. Maternal deaths occur while pregnant or within 42 days of being pregnant.
SOURCES: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, Mortality and Natality.

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Figure 1. Maternal mortality rates, by race and Hispanic origin: United States, 2018–2020

2018 2019 2020

60
1
55.3

50

44.0
Deaths per 100,000 live births

40
37.3

30

1
23.8
1
20.1
20 1 19.1 1
18.2
17.4 17.9
14.9
11.8 12.6

10

0
Total Non-Hispanic White Non-Hispanic Black Hispanic

1
Statistically significant increase in rate from previous year (p < 0.05).
NOTE: Race groups are single race.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, Mortality.

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Figure 2. Maternal mortality rates, by age group: United States, 2018–2020

2018 2019 2020

120

1
107.9

100

81.9
Deaths per 100,000 live births

80
75.5

60

40

1
1
22.8
19.9
20 16.6
12.6 13.8
10.6

0
Under 25 25–39 40 and over

1
Statistically significant increase in rate from previous year (p < 0.05).
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, Mortality.

5 | Division of Vital Statistics CS329415