Maternal deaths have dropped in the U.S. with the exception of Black mothers, according to data released this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
A report from the agency’s National Center for Health Statistics, published Wednesday, found that in 2023, 669 women died of maternal causes compared to 817 women who died of the same causes in 2022.
Now, the maternal mortality rate for all mothers in the U.S. regardless of race has dropped to 18.6 deaths per 100,000 live births from 22.3 in 2022.
The maternal mortality rates dropped significantly for white non-Hispanic women and Hispanic women in 2023, the research shows.
Among white non-Hispanic women, the maternal mortality rate dropped from 19 to 14.5 deaths per 100,000 live births between 2022 and 2023 and fell from 16.9 to 12.4 for Hispanic women.
The maternal mortality rate dropped slightly for Asian women as well, decreasing from 13.2 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2022 to 10.7, according to the CDC data.
The maternal mortality rate for non-Hispanic Black women though rose between those two years from 49.5 per 100,000 live births to 50.3.
CDC officials note that the rise in pregnancy-related deaths among Black women is not “statistically significant.” But the data shows Black women are still more likely to die from pregnancy-related issues than women of other racial and ethnic backgrounds.
Racism within the health care system as well as lower rates of health insurance coverage and access to care are some reasons why Black women are at a higher risk of dying during pregnancy and childbirth, health experts say.
The data was released after President Trump ordered a pause on all external federal health agency communication in late January.
