Is Arizona’s maternal mortality rate among the highest in the U.S.?

Yes.

Between 2018 and 2022, the most recent period for which data is available, Arizona’s maternal mortality rate was 30 deaths per 100,000 live births, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. That’s significantly higher than the national average of 23.2, putting Arizona 11th in the country.

Systemic factors help explain Arizona’s elevated rate. Limited access to prenatal and maternal care, particularly in rural areas, can delay or disrupt care and increase health risks. Black and Indigenous Arizonans face disproportionate levels of harm: A 2024 AZCIR report found that women in those groups died at three to five times the rate of their white counterparts during and after pregnancy.

According to March of Dimes, which advocates for maternal and infant health, 20% of pregnant women in Arizona either receive inadequate prenatal care or none at all, compared with about 14.8% nationally. 

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.

The Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting partners with Gigafact to produce fact briefs, or quick-response fact checks, about trending claims relating to Arizona.

Sources

• Maternal deaths and mortality rates 2018-2022, U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Arizona Rural Maternity Care, The University of Arizona Health Sciences
• Despite renewed attention, pregnancy and childbirth still deadly across Arizona, Arizona Center for Investigative Reporting
• Maternity Care Report Arizona | March of Dimes, March of Dimes