IN OTHER NEWS – A new study finds that Georgia ranks in the top five states with the most cesarean births.
Release:
- Mississippi experiences the most cesarean births, with a 38.5% rate
- Florida, Louisiana and Georgia also rank highly with 35.9%, 35.5% and 35.3% respectively
- Alaska and South Dakota have the most natural births with 77.3% and 76% respectively
New research has revealed the states with the highest cesarean birth rates and natural birth rates. Mississippi has the highest cesarean birth rate, while Alaska has the highest natural birth rate in America.
Experts at Birth Injury Lawyers Group analyzed data from the National Center of Health Statistics to discover the rates of cesarean and natural births in each US state. They calculated the total number of cesarean and natural births from each state’s given rate and total number of births. The rankings have been listed from highest to lowest rate for both cesarean and natural births to reveal the top ten.
States with the most cesarean births
The national cesarean rate across the US in 2022 was 32.2%, meaning 1,178,913 C-sections were performed in total. Comparing the national rate to the states with the most cesareans shows how far above average they are.
Topping the ranking with the most cesarean births is Mississippi, where the cesarean birth rate is a staggering 38.5%. This is equivalent to 13,324 of the total 34,609 births in Mississippi in 2022 being C-sections.
In second place is Florida, with a shocking 80,487 of all 224,226 births in 2022 being C-sections – meaning the cesarean rate in Florida is 35.9%.
Louisiana had a cesarean birth rate of 35.5% in 2022, putting the state in third. Louisiana experienced 19,914 C-sections out of the total 56,096 number of births.
Georgia is next, with a cesarean birth rate of 35.3% or 44,417 total cesareans in 2022 out of the total 125,827 births.
In fifth, with 12,434 C-sections in 2022, is Connecticut. This means 35.2% of all 35,323 births were C-sections.
With a 34.8% cesarean birth rate, Rhode Island ranks sixth. This state experienced 10,214 total births in 2022, 3,554 of them C-sections.
Texas is next, with a staggering 135,168 C-sections in 2022. Texas’ cesarean birth rate in 2022 was 34.7% out of 389,533 total births.
Kentucky and Alabama have tied for eighth place, both with a cesarean birth rate of 34.5% in 2022. Kentucky had 18,016 C-sections out of 52,219 births, whereas Alabama had 20,037 C-sections out of 58,079 births.
Ninth place is Maryland, with 34.3% of all 68,694 births in 2022 being cesareans, equal to 23,562 C-sections.
Just making the ranking is West Virginia in tenth place, where the cesarean rate in 2022 was 34.1% or 5,765 out of 16,905 births being C-sections.
| Rank | State | Cesarean rate | Total cesareans |
| 1 | Mississippi | 38.5% | 13,324 |
| 2 | Florida | 35.9% | 80,497 |
| 3 | Louisiana | 35.5% | 19,914 |
| 4 | Georgia | 35.3% | 44,417 |
| 5 | Connecticut | 35.2% | 12,434 |
| 6 | Rhode Island | 34.8% | 3,554 |
| 7 | Texas | 34.7% | 135,168 |
| 8 | Kentucky | 34.5% | 18,016 |
| Alabama | 34.5% | 20,037 | |
| 9 | Maryland | 34.3% | 23,562 |
| 10 | West Virginia | 34.1% | 5,765 |
States with the most natural births
In 2022, the national rate for natural births was 67.8%, meaning 2,482,307 of all births in the US that year were natural. This national number portrays how far the top ten natural birth states are above average.
The state with the most natural births is Alaska, where the rate of natural births was a staggering 77.3% in 2022 – that is 7,213 out of 9,331 births.
South Dakota and Utah are tied for second place, as both states have a 76% natural birth rate. In 2022, South Dakota saw 8,503 natural births out of 11,188, and Utah saw 34,778 out of 45,761 births.
Out of Idaho’s total 22,382 births, 75.5% were natural, meaning Idaho experienced 16,898 natural births in 2022, putting the state in third.
North Dakota is in fourth place, with a 74% natural birth rate. The state reported 9,561 births in 2022, 7,075 of which were natural.
Next is Montana in fifth place, where the natural birth rate was 72.9% in 2022, which is 8,131 out of 11,154 births.
Wyoming had a natural birth rate of 72.6% in 2022, putting the state in sixth. Wyoming reported 6,044 total births, and 4,388 were natural.
New Mexico and Wisconsin have also tied in seventh place, with a natural birth rate of 72.5%. New Mexico experienced 14,138 natural births out of 19,501, whereas Wisconsin experienced 43,449 out of 59,930.
In eighth place is Hawaii, with 72.3% of all births being natural. Hawaii had 15,225 total births in 2022, and 11,008 were natural births.
Ninth is Colorado, where 44,951 of all 62,346 births were natural – that is equal to a natural birth rate of 72.1%.
| Rank | State | Natural birth rate | Total natural births |
| 1 | Alaska | 77.3% | 7,213 |
| 2 | South Dakota | 76% | 8,503 |
| Utah | 76% | 34,778 | |
| 3 | Idaho | 75.5% | 16,898 |
| 4 | North Dakota | 74% | 7,075 |
| 5 | Montana | 72.9% | 8,131 |
| 6 | Wyoming | 72.6% | 4,388 |
| 7 | New Mexico | 72.5% | 14,138 |
| Wisconsin | 72.5% | 43,449 | |
| 8 | Hawaii | 72.3% | 11,008 |
| 9 | Colorado | 72.1% | 44,951 |
| 10 | Vermont | 71.9% | 3,793 |
Lastly, Vermont is tenth among the states with the most natural births, with 3,793 out of 5,275. This means Vermont’s natural birth rate in 2022 was 71.9%.
Bob Goldwater, a spokesperson for Birth Injury Lawyers Group, has commented on the findings:
“Mothers have a choice between having a natural vaginal birth and a cesarean section birth for their babies. A C-section may be required in some cases, such as babies over 10 pounds, multiple births like triplets, concerns about the baby like abnormal heart rate, abnormal position in the womb, developmental problems or issues with the placenta or umbilical cord. The most common reason, though, is if the baby’s head is at difficult position for labor, or if it cannot fit through the pelvis during labor.”
“C-sections cause increased risks of clots, blood loss, infections, and bowel/bladder injuries. Whether you elect to have one or your doctor recommends one, they should tell you all the possible risk factors you can face if you go through the procedure so you can make an informed choice.
“Doctors do generally prefer that women perform a vaginal birth if they can. Although, once you’ve had one vaginal birth, it could be dangerous in the future to give birth naturally again.”
