U.S. Infant Mortality Falls To Record Low, But Major Health Disparities Persist
Infant mortality in the United States fell to a record low in 2025, according to new provisional data from federal health officials. The latest figures suggest fewer than 5.4 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, down from approximately 5.5 in 2024 and 5.6 in both 2022 and 2023.
Specialists note that even relatively small changes are statistically significant and represent hundreds of infant lives saved each year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that total infant deaths declined to roughly 19,350 in 2025, compared with about 20,050 in 2024 and 20,160 in 2023.
Infant mortality measures the number of babies who die before their first birthday and is widely used to track child health outcomes over time. About 30 years ago, the U.S. infant mortality rate stood at approximately 7.5 deaths per 1,000 live births, and gradual improvements in medicine and public health have steadily lowered that figure.
Despite this progress, the United States continues to perform worse than many other high-income countries. Research shows that U.S. infant mortality remains roughly twice as high as in several wealthy nations, a difference often linked to poverty, unequal access to healthcare, and broader social determinants of health.
Why The Rate Is Improving
Experts caution that the recent decline cannot be attributed to a single factor. However, they point to new tools for preventing respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) infections and ongoing safe sleep campaigns as likely contributors.
Following a surge in RSV and influenza infections during the early 2020s, the CDC and other medical organizations recommended two new RSV prevention strategies in 2023. One involves a laboratory-produced antibody injection given directly to infants, while the other is an RSV vaccine administered to pregnant women between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy.
These interventions are designed to protect newborns during their most vulnerable early months, when severe RSV infections can become life-threatening. Early evidence suggests that broader adoption of these measures has reduced RSV-related hospitalizations and deaths among young infants.
Public health organizations have also continued promoting safe sleep practices to reduce sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Current recommendations emphasize placing babies on their backs to sleep, in their own sleep space, on a firm surface free of blankets, pillows, and other objects.
Persistent Gaps And Risk Factors
Despite the overall decline, major racial and geographic disparities remain. According to CDC data from 2024, infants born to Black women died at more than twice the rate of infants born to Hispanic, White, and Asian American women.
Researchers also identified differences based on gestational age. Mortality rates declined among full-term infants born at 39 to 40 weeks, suggesting that improvements in perinatal care and preventive measures may be benefiting this group. However, mortality rates among preterm and very preterm infants showed little change.
State-by-state comparisons reveal additional inequalities. Mississippi reported the highest infant mortality rate in 2024, with 9.65 deaths per 1,000 live births, while New Hampshire recorded the lowest rate at just under 3 deaths per 1,000 live births. These differences are often associated with variations in healthcare access, hospital resources, and socioeconomic conditions.
Public health experts note that states with strong prenatal care programs, broader Medicaid coverage, and greater investment in maternal health tend to achieve better infant outcomes. Regions facing persistent poverty, hospital closures, or shortages of obstetric services often struggle to reduce preventable infant deaths.
How The United States Compares Globally
International comparisons highlight the challenges that remain. An analysis of 2022 data found that infant mortality in the United States was nearly twice as high as in countries such as Italy, Japan, Spain, and Sweden, despite similar economic resources.
Researchers emphasize that these differences reflect not only medical factors but also broader social conditions. Access to stable housing, adequate nutrition, paid parental leave, reproductive healthcare, and equitable medical treatment all influence outcomes for mothers and infants.
Many experts argue that continued progress will require more than medical advances alone. Expanding maternal healthcare services, reducing insurance coverage gaps, and ensuring access to high-quality obstetric and neonatal care are viewed as essential strategies for further lowering infant mortality.
For now, researchers describe the latest decline as an encouraging sign following the increases observed earlier in the decade. As more complete 2025 data become available, health officials will be watching closely to determine whether the improvement represents the beginning of a sustained national trend.
