Full Breakdown
U.S. Infant Mortality Reaches Historic Low in 2025
6/17/2026, 4:13:19 AM
Historic Low in Infant Mortality: 2025 Data
Preliminary CDC data show the United States recorded 5.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births in 2025, down from 5.5 in 2024 and 5.6 in the two prior years. The provisional count of infant deaths is about 19,350, a reduction of roughly 700 deaths from the 2024 estimate.
Decades-Long Decline and International Benchmarking
The rate fell from 7.5 per 1,000 three decades ago, showing medical and public-health gains. Yet the U.S. rate remains about twice that of Italy, Japan, Spain and Sweden. A 2022 RSV-flu spike briefly stalled the decline.
Core Statistics
In 2025 the infant mortality rate was 5.4 per 1,000 live births, about 19,350 infant deaths. Mississippi had the highest state rate at 9.65 per 1,000; New Hampshire the lowest at just under 3 per 1,000. Infants of Black women died at more than twice the rate of those of Hispanic, white or Asian American women. Mortality fell for both neonates and older infants, with a modest drop among full-term births.
New Preventive Measures
In 2023–2024 officials introduced two RSV measures: a monoclonal antibody for infants and a vaccine for pregnant women at 32-36 weeks. A March of Dimes expert linked these to the 2024 improvement, and safe-sleep education is tied to lower sudden infant death syndrome rates.
Persistent Racial and Geographic Disparities
Despite overall gains, mortality remains markedly higher in communities with limited prenatal-care access, concentrated poverty, and uneven health-policy implementation. State-level variation mirrors differences in health-care infrastructure and public-health resources.
Official Statements & Responses
The CDC’s provisional release included a 2024 analysis showing declines across age groups but persistent inequities. Dr. Michael Warren, chief medical and health officer for the March of Dimes, called the trend “encouraging” and urged action to close racial and regional gaps.
Criticism & Ongoing Challenges
Public-health analysts say the United States still trails peer high-income nations, citing poverty, inadequate prenatal care and a fragmented health system. The stark racial gap calls for targeted policy reforms beyond recent vaccine and antibody measures.
Verbatim Quotes
- “this is an encouraging data point, and we hope that this trend will continue,” — Dr. Michael Warren, March of Dimes
- “These differences are reflective of a variety of reasons related to access to care, community factors, and policies that improve health and outcomes,” — Dr. Michael Warren, March of Dimes
- “A March of Dimes expertlast yearsaid the effort likely contributed to the improvement in 2024.” — Dr. Michael Warren, March of Dimes
- “Meanwhile, a decline in sudden infant death syndrome could be connected to an increase in education around safe sleeping for infants, Warren said in a statement.” — Dr. Michael Warren, March of Dimes
What’s Next
The CDC will complete further analysis of the 2025 provisional data before releasing final figures, and will continue monitoring the impact of the RSV antibody and vaccine programs as well as safe-sleep education efforts.
