Black women in America face a maternal mortality crisis that education and income cannot overcome. They die from pregnancy-related causes at more than three times the rate of White women, with 49.4 deaths per 100,000 live births compared to 14.9 for White women in 2023. Even more alarming, Black women with college degrees have higher pregnancy-related death rates than White women who never finished high school.
The disparities extend beyond mortality. Black infants die at more than twice the rate of White infants. Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander women are four times more likely than White women to receive late or no prenatal care. American Indian and Alaska Native communities also face elevated risks across nearly every measure.
Recent federal actions threaten to widen these gaps further. The Trump administration has eliminated most staff in the CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health and halted community maternal health grants. The dismantling of data collection systems like the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System removes crucial tools for tracking and addressing disparities.
New Medicaid work requirements and cuts to family planning programs will disproportionately affect women of color, who rely heavily on these services. State abortion restrictions compound these challenges, with recent research showing infant mortality has risen in ban states, with larger increases among Black infants.
Discrimination itself contributes to 30% of pregnancy-related deaths, with Black and Hispanic women reporting the highest rates of mistreatment during pregnancy and delivery.
See: “Racial Disparities in Maternal and Infant Health: Current Status and Key Issues” (December 3, 2025)
