Gestational diabetes rates in the United States have surged across all populations from 2016 to 2024, but American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander mothers bear the greatest burden. Research analyzing over 12 million births reveals these communities consistently experienced the highest rates throughout the study period, even as the overall national rate climbed from 58.2 to 79.3 cases per 1,000 live births.
Among Asian subgroups, the disparities are particularly acute. Asian Indian women faced the highest rates of any Asian ethnicity studied, while Chinese mothers experienced the steepest increase at 6.8% annually—the sharpest rise among all groups examined. Japanese, Filipina, Korean, and Vietnamese mothers also saw significant increases, with rates climbing between 2.7% and 4.8% each year.
Hispanic communities experienced substantial increases as well, with Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Central and South American mothers all showing rising rates between 3.2% and 3.8% annually.
The researchers attribute these stark disparities to differences in risk factor burden, healthcare access, and social exposures across racial and ethnic groups. The persistent and widening gap means mothers in these communities face greater risks of complications during pregnancy and long-term health consequences for themselves and their children.
The findings reveal an escalating maternal health crisis that disproportionately threatens the wellbeing of minority communities, demanding urgent targeted interventions to address these deepening inequities.
See: “Gestational Diabetes in the US From 2016 to 2024” (December 29, 2025)
