Black women in the United States are dying during pregnancy and childbirth at alarming rates—two to four times higher than White, Hispanic, or Asian women. A new analysis from the McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility and the McKinsey Health Institute reports that maternal mortality among Black women reached 50 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2023, and could nearly double by 2040 if current trends persist.
Beyond mortality, Black women face disproportionate rates of serious conditions such as preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and postpartum depression. These health challenges may not always be fatal, but they take a heavy toll. The report estimates that in 2025 alone, Black women giving birth will lose 350,000 healthy life years to disability and illness tied to maternal health.
The disparities extend to infants. Black babies are more than twice as likely as their White, Hispanic, and Asian peers to die before their first birthday. Complications like preterm birth, low birth weight, and limited access to prenatal care are driving factors. Closing this gap could save 35,000 Black infants by 2040.
The report also highlights broader costs. Maternal-health inequities not only devastate families but weaken the economy. Addressing the crisis could restore healthy years of life, save billions in healthcare spending, and add $24.4 billion to U.S. GDP through improved workforce participation.
Underlying these disparities are structural drivers, including racism in healthcare, chronic disease burdens, and higher allostatic load—a biological marker of stress that shortens life and raises risks of hypertension, diabetes, and heart disease.
See: “Closing the Black maternal-health gap: Healthier lives, stronger economies” (August 13, 2025)
