The U.S. maternal mortality rate rose sharply in 2021, the most recent year for which data is available, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In 2021, 1,025 pregnant people died of pregnancy-related causes. In 2020, the figure was 861, and in 2019 it was 754. In 2021, there were 32.9 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, compared to 23.8 in 2020 and 20.1 in 2019.
This makes the United States the most dangerous wealthy nation in the world in which to give birth. In 2020, before the 2021 rate rise, it had a higher maternal death rate than 62 countries. Women giving birth in the Gaza Strip, Kuwait, Qatar, Serbia, and the United Arab Emirates all have much better chances of survival than those giving birth in the United States.
This data doesn’t reveal the full picture, though. In some states, the maternal mortality rate is nearly double the national average. Louisiana and Georgia lead the nation, at 58 and 48 deaths per 100,000 respectively.
Maternal mortality is not an inevitable phenomenon in a nation with adequate medical care. In many wealthy nations, the rate is almost zero—just 1 or 2 deaths per 100,000 live births. While most nations have seen declines in maternal mortality in recent decades, American maternal mortality has risen sharply. It is now more dangerous for a woman to give birth in the U.S. than it was for her mother a generation ago.
Research consistently shows that bad medical care, sexism, and racism are the primary culprits contributing to maternal mortality. Women are dying because our culture hates them and devalues their lives. No wonder Black women die at almost three times the rate of white women. This figure persists even when a Black woman has wealth and an education. Racism, not individual choice or poor personal health, is the problem here.
Violence also figures prominently. Murder is the leading cause of death among pregnant women.
Importantly, this data came out before the end of Roe v. Wade and the widespread closure of abortion clinics. Abortion bans affect large numbers of pregnant people, including many with wanted pregnancies who face life-threatening complications. Another huge jump in the death rate for 2022 and 2023 is almost inevitable. Numerous studies have shown that decreasing abortion access kills pregnant people.
Lack of abortion access is also an important driver of domestic violence. Violence often begins during pregnancy, and women who can’t escape pregnancy will have much more difficulty escaping the violence. Once they give birth, their abusers can retain a permanent place in their lives by weaponizing the family court system.
Republican lawmakers are just as aware as anyone of the consequences of their actions. The fact that they’ve done nothing to slow the maternal mortality epidemic is not an accident. They want to punish women—not just for having abortions, but for existing.