Infant Mortality in the United States, 2023: Data From the Period Linked Birth/Infant Death File

This report presents final 2023 infant mortality statistics by age at death, maternal race and Hispanic origin, maternal age, gestational age, leading causes of death, and maternal state of residence. Trends in infant mortality are also examined.

Descriptive tabulations of data are presented and interpreted for infant deaths and infant mortality rates using the 2023 period linked birth/infant death file. The linked birth/infant death file is based on birth and death certificates registered in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

A total of 20,162 infant deaths were reported in the United States in 2023, down 2% from 2022. The U.S. infant mortality rate was 5.61 infant deaths per 1,000 live births, unchanged from the rate in 2022. Changes in the neonatal mortality rate from 3.59 in 2022 to 3.65 in 2023, and in the postneonatal mortality rate from 2.02 to 1.96, were not significant. Changes in mortality rates for infants by maternal race and Hispanic-origin group were not significant; among Hispanic-origin subgroups, rates increased for infants of Mexican women in 2023 compared with 2022. Infants of Black non-Hispanic women had the highest mortality rate (10.93) in 2023, followed by infants of American Indian and Alaska Native non-Hispanic (9.20) and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander non-Hispanic (8.21), Hispanic (5.03), White non-Hispanic (4.48), and Asian non-Hispanic (3.44) women. The mortality rate decreased from 2022 to 2023 for infants born at 41 weeks of gestation (1.73 to 1.46) but were essentially unchanged for other gestational age categories. The five leading causes of infant death in 2023 were the same as in 2022. Infant mortality rates by state for 2023 ranged from a low of 2.93 in New Hampshire to a high of 8.94 in Mississippi.