Insights into the U.S. Maternal Mortality Crisis: An International Comparison

Commonwealth Fund June 4, 2024
Munira Z. Gunja, Evan D. Gumas, Relebohile Masitha, Laurie C. Zephyrin

TOPLINES

The U.S. maternal mortality rate continues to far exceed those of other high-income nations, despite a decline since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic

Persistent inequities in health care are a big reason why Black women in the U.S. are by far the most likely to die from pregnancy or childbirth

Introduction

The United States continues to have the highest rate of maternal deaths of any high-income nation, despite a decline since the COVID-19 pandemic. And within the U.S., the rate is by far the highest for Black women. Most of these deaths — over 80 percent — are likely preventable.¹

With policies and systems in place to support women during the perinatal period, several high-income countries report virtually...

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