A new map from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) highlights significant disparities in infant mortality rates across American states, with Mississippi recording the highest rate at 9.08 deaths per 1,000 live births, while Massachusetts had the lowest at 4.28 per 1,000.
The national average for infant mortality stood at 5.89 per 1,000 live births, with 21 states exceeding this figure. Although rates have declined since a peak in 2005, the US still lags behind other high-income countries such as the UK, France, Germany, and Canada.
Racial disparities were particularly pronounced. For infants of non-Hispanic black women, the lowest mortality rate (8.27 in Massachusetts) was higher than the highest rates for non-Hispanic white (7.04) and Hispanic (7.28) women. Wisconsin had the worst outcomes for black infants, with 14.28 deaths per 1,000 live births—more than three times the rate for white babies in the same state.
Michigan recorded the highest infant mortality rate for Hispanic women at 7.28 per 1,000, compared to 5.21 for white women. California, New Jersey, and New York maintained rates below the national average across all racial groups.
