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United States Value:
Number of infant deaths (before age 1) per 1,000 live births
Number of infant deaths (before age 1) per 1,000 live births to Black mothers
6.4 - 9.3
9.4 - 10.4
10.5 - 12.1
12.2 - 12.9
13.0 - 15.9
No Data
US Value: 5.6
Top State(s): New Hampshire: 3.2
Bottom State(s): Mississippi: 9.0
Definition: Number of infant deaths (before age 1) per 1,000 live births
Data Source and Years(s): U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, Linked Birth/Infant Death Records via CDC WONDER Online Database, 2022-2023
Suggested Citation: America's Health Rankings analysis of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System, Linked Birth/Infant Death Records via CDC WONDER Online Database, United Health Foundation, AmericasHealthRankings.org, accessed 2026.
Losing an infant is devastating for parents, families and communities. For the bereaved parents, it can result in extreme and debilitating grief that impedes daily activities and interpersonal relationships. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 20,200 infants died in the United States in 2023. The leading causes of infant death were congenital abnormalities, low birth weight and sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). The infant mortality rate in the U.S. is consistently and considerably higher than in other developed countries.
Significant racial and ethnic disparities persist in infant mortality in the United States, with particularly striking gaps between the high infant mortality rates of non-Hispanic Black and American Indian/Alaska Native populations compared with Hispanic, non-Hispanic white and Asian populations.
Other populations with higher rates of infant mortality include:
The U.S. has made considerable progress over the past 100 years to reduce infant mortality rates. However, the U.S. must do more to eliminate disparities and ensure continued progress. It is vital to implement a variety of strategies to reduce infant mortality, including:
Additionally, increasing the minimum wage is associated with a reduction in low birth weight births and infant deaths.
Healthy People 2030 has an objective to reduce infant mortality. They also have several related objectives, including reducing preterm births and increasing the proportion of women who receive early and adequate prenatal care.
Ely, Danielle M., and Anne K. Driscoll. “Infant Mortality in the United States, 2022: Data from the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File.” National Vital Statistics Reports 73, no. 5 (July 25, 2024). https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc/157006.
Flach, Katherine, Nathália Gewehr Gressler, Miriam Allein Zago Marcolino, and Daniela Centenaro Levandowski. “Complicated Grief After the Loss of a Baby: A Systematic Review About Risk and Protective Factors for Bereaved Women.” Trends in Psychology 31, no. 4 (January 10, 2022): 777–811. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43076-021-00112-z.
Gunja, Munira Z., Evan D. Gumas, and Reginald D. Williams II. U.S. Health Care from a Global Perspective, 2022: Accelerating Spending, Worsening Outcomes. Issue Brief. The Commonwealth Fund, January 31, 2023. https://doi.org/10.26099/8ejy-yc74.
Komro, Kelli A., Melvin D. Livingston, Sara Markowitz, and Alexander C. Wagenaar. “The Effect of an Increased Minimum Wage on Infant Mortality and Birth Weight.” American Journal of Public Health 106, no. 8 (August 2016): 1514–16. https://doi.org/10.2105/AJPH.2016.303268.
Mohamoud, Yousra A., Russell S. Kirby, and Deborah B. Ehrenthal. “Poverty, Urban-Rural Classification and Term Infant Mortality: A Population-Based Multilevel Analysis.” BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth 19, no. 1 (December 2019): 40. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12884-019-2190-1.
Moon, Rachel Y., Rebecca F. Carlin, and Ivan Hand. “Sleep-Related Infant Deaths: Updated 2022 Recommendations for Reducing Infant Deaths in the Sleep Environment.” Pediatrics 150, no. 1 (July 1, 2022): e2022057990. https://doi.org/10.1542/peds.2022-057990.
Murphy, Sherry L., Kenneth D. Kochanek, Jiaquan Xu, and Elizabeth Arias. Mortality in the United States, 2023. Hyattsville, MD: National Center Health Statistics (U.S.), December 19, 2024. https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc/170564.
Singh, Gopal K., and Stella M. Yu. “Infant Mortality in the United States, 1915-2017: Large Social Inequalities Have Persisted for Over a Century.” International Journal of MCH and AIDS 8, no. 1 (March 20, 2019): 19–31.https://doi.org/10.21106/ijma.271.
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We have developed detailed analyses on the health of key populations in the country, including women and children, seniors and those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, in addition to a deep dive into health disparities across the country.
