Infant Mortality | Maternal Infant Health
Infant mortality is the death of an infant before his or her first birthday. The infant mortality rate is an important marker of the overall health of a society. In 2022, the infant mortality rate in the United States was 5.6 deaths per 1,000 live births.
Infant mortality rates by state, 2022
View the Infant Mortality Rates by State Map from the National Center for Health Statistics.
Healthy People provides science-based, 10-year national objectives for improving the health of all Americans. One of the Healthy People objectives is to reduce the rate of all infant deaths. In 2022, 15 states met the Healthy People 2030 target of 5.0 infant deaths or less per 1,000 live births. Geographically, infant mortality rates in 2022 were highest among states in the South and in the Midwest.
Infant mortality rates by race and ethnicity, 2022
In 2022, infant mortality rates (per 1,000 live births) by race and ethnicity were as follows:
- Non-Hispanic Black: 10.9
- Non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native: 9.1
- Non-Hispanic Native Hawaiian or other Pacific Islander: 8.5
- Hispanic: 4.9
- Non-Hispanic white: 4.5
- Non-Hispanic Asian: 3.5
For brevity, text does not include the term “single-race.”
All records that indicated Hispanic ethnicity are classified as Hispanic regardless of race.
CDC activities
CDC is committed to improving infant outcomes. CDC and other public health agencies work with health care providers, communities, and other partners to reduce infant mortality. This joint approach can help address social, behavioral, and health risk factors that contribute to infant mortality.
CDC provides support to 36 Perinatal Quality Collaboratives (PQCs). PQCs are state or multistate networks of multidisciplinary teams working to improve the quality of care for mothers and babies.
The Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Program (MCHEP) assigns epidemiologists and fellows to states, localities, and tribes. These assignees support epidemiologic research and provide scientific information to improve maternal and child health programs and policies.
CDC provides technical support to states to implement the CDC Levels of Care Assessment ToolSM (CDC LOCATeSM) This helps states to map and strengthen systems of risk-appropriate care to make sure moms and babies get the right care, in the right place, at the right time.
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