A new international report from the Commonwealth Fund released today finds that maternal mortality rates in the United States continue to far exceed those in other high-income nations, despite a decline since the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. Black women in the U.S. experience far higher rates of maternal deaths than other racial or ethnic groups in the country, and more than 80 percent of maternal deaths in the U.S. are likely preventable. The study also warns that a deepening shortage of maternity health providers in the U.S., particularly midwives, may exacerbate America’s maternal mortality crisis.
Insights into the U.S. Maternal Mortality Crisis: An International Comparison examines the state of maternal health across 14 nations: the U.S., Australia, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, Japan, Korea, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom. Building on prior Commonwealth Fund research, this analysis compares maternal mortality rates, health care workforce composition, and access to postpartum care and supportive policies in the U.S. versus other highincome countries.