In 2023, around **** percent of all live births were delivered by cesarean section in the United States. The rate of c-section in the U.S. has been increasing since 1997 where it was **** percent to a peak of **** percent in 2009. C-section rate has since varied little and stayed around ** percent.

Mississippi leads the nation in cesarean section rates, with ** percent of all live births delivered via C-section in 2023. This figure significantly surpasses the national average of **** percent. The high prevalence of C-sections raises important questions about maternal health care and medical decision-making in different states. Age and ethnicity influence C-section rates Demographic factors play a crucial role in the likelihood of cesarean deliveries. Maternal age significantly impacts C-section rates, with mothers aged 40 to 54 experiencing a **** percent rate compared to just **** percent for those under **. Additionally, ethnic disparities persist, with non-Hispanic Black women consistently having higher C-section rates than other groups. The gap between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White women has widened from *** percent in 2007 to nearly *** percent by 2023. Financial implications of C-sections The cost of cesarean deliveries varies widely depending on insurance status and location. In 2023, the national median cost for an insured, in-network C-section was ****** U.S. dollars. However, for uninsured patients or those using out-of-network services, the median charge more than doubled to ****** U.S. dollars. New Jersey topped the charts for both insured and uninsured C-section costs, with median values of ****** U.S. dollars and ****** U.S. dollars respectively.

Cesarean section rates increased with increasing age of mother in the United Sates. In 2023, around 18.9 percent of mothers under the age of 20 gave birth via c-section, while the rate of cesarean delivery for mothers aged 40 to 54 was 48.1 percent. In the recorded time period, c-section rates for most age groups peaked in 2007 and has decreased slightly since then.

According to a U.S. hospital survey, the average nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex (NTSV) cesarean section rate was 25.3 percent in 2024*. This is the c-section rate for low-risk first-time mothers, which did not meet the national target of 23.6 percent**. C-sections can be medically necessary, but involve risks such as infection, blood clots, extended recovery, and issues in subsequent pregnancies. The surgery may also impact neonatal health, increasing the chances of a NICU stay due to respiratory issues. Not to mention, c-section births also cost a lot more than vaginal delivery. Even higher is the rate of c-section among all live births in the U.S., standing at 32.3 percent in 2023 (which includes mothers of higher risks such as giving birth to multiples or having hypertension or diabetes).

From 1996 to 2023, cesarean delivery rates in the U.S. varied from one ethnicity to another, with non-Hispanic Black women having the highest rate of c-sections, with a percentage of ** in 2023. The discrepancy between non-Hispanic Black and non-Hispanic White has increased from *** percentage points in 2007 to over ***** percentage points in 2023.

Among all countries that are part of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Turkey, followed by Korea, had the highest rate of Caesarean section births (or C-sections) in 2022. At that time, the rate of C-sections in Turkey was roughly 600 per 1,000 live births. Among global regions, Latin America and the Caribbean had the highest percentage of births that were delivered by C-section, while sub-Saharan Africa had the lowest rates of Cesarean section births. Cesarean section costs A Cesarean section is a form of birth where the baby is taken out through a surgical incision in the abdomen rather than a natural vaginal birth. The cost of a Cesarean section delivery varies globally, with the United States having the highest cost globally for Cesarean section deliveries, while Germany the lowest cost among selected countries worldwide. In the United States, C-sections are significantly more expensive than a delivery by vaginal birth. High C-sections rates in the U.S. Over the past 20 years the C-section rate in the U.S. has gradually been increasing with more stable trends in the past few years. It has been reported that many of the C-sections performed in the U.S. are elective and not necessary. Often, the risks of C-sections are greater than the benefits, when performed as an elective procedure. Therefore, the United States has a "healthy people target" for the c-section rate of first time, low-risk mothers. However, less than half of hospitals are meeting the national targets for Cesarean sections performed.

BackgroundCaesarean section (CS) rates continue to evoke worldwide concern because of their steady increase, lack of consensus on the appropriate CS rate and the associated additional short- and long-term risks and costs. We present the latest CS rates and trends over the last 24 years.MethodsWe collected nationally-representative data on CS rates between 1990 to 2014 and calculated regional and subregional weighted averages. We conducted a longitudinal analysis calculating differences in CS rates as absolute change and as the average annual rate of increase (AARI).ResultsAccording to the latest data from 150 countries, currently 18.6% of all births occur by CS, ranging from 6% to 27.2% in the least and most developed regions, respectively. Latin America and the Caribbean region has the highest CS rates (40.5%), followed by Northern America (32.3%), Oceania (31.1%), Europe (25%), Asia (19.2%) and Africa (7.3%). Based on the data from 121 countries, the trend analysis showed that between 1990 and 2014, the global average CS rate increased 12.4% (from 6.7% to 19.1%) with an average annual rate of increase of 4.4%. The largest absolute increases occurred in Latin America and the Caribbean (19.4%, from 22.8% to 42.2%), followed by Asia (15.1%, from 4.4% to 19.5%), Oceania (14.1%, from 18.5% to 32.6%), Europe (13.8%, from 11.2% to 25%), Northern America (10%, from 22.3% to 32.3%) and Africa (4.5%, from 2.9% to 7.4%). Asia and Northern America were the regions with the highest and lowest average annual rate of increase (6.4% and 1.6%, respectively).ConclusionThe use of CS worldwide has increased to unprecedented levels although the gap between higher- and lower-resource settings remains. The information presented is essential to inform policy and global and regional strategies aimed at optimizing the use of CS.

According to a survey in 2023, about a quarter of women in the U.S. who had a cesarean section in the past six months said that they had a scheduled cesarean section due to previous c-section(s). On the other hand, over half of mothers reported having an emergency c-section, either before labor started (15 percent) or after labor started (39 percent). Only three percent reported their c-section being elective as in their own choice.

Rates1 and estimated annual rates of change of cesarean delivery by cesarean type and subpopulation, US border states, 2000–2015.

Characteristics of mothers with cesarean delivery by subpopulation, US-Mexico border states, 2000–2015.

ObjectiveWe examined the extent to which differences in hospital-level cesarean delivery rates in Massachusetts were attributable to hospital-level, rather than maternal, characteristics. MethodsBirth certificate and maternal in-patient hospital discharge records for 2004–06 in Massachusetts were linked. The study population was nulliparous, term, singleton, and vertex births (NTSV) (n = 80,371) in 49 hospitals. Covariates included mother's age, race/ethnicity, education, infant birth weight, gestational age, labor induction (yes/no), hospital shift at time of birth, and preexisting health conditions. We estimated multilevel logistic regression models to assess the likelihood of a cesarean delivery ResultsOverall, among women with NTSV births, 26.5% births were cesarean, with a range of 14% to 38.3% across hospitals. In unadjusted models, the between-hospital variance was 0.103 (SE 0.022); adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic and preexisting medical conditions did not reduce any hospital-level variation 0.108 (SE 0.023). ConclusionEven after adjusting for both socio-demographic and clinical factors, the chance of a cesarean delivery for NTSV pregnancies varied according to hospital, suggesting the importance of hospital practices and culture in determining a hospital's cesarean rate.

This statistic depicts large U.S. hospitals with the lowest Cesarean section (C-section) rates among first-time, low-risk mothers in the U.S. as of 2017. According to the data, Crouse Hospital in Syracuse, New York, had a C-section rate for first time, low-risk deliveries of around ***** percent.

Change in caesarean section rates in 121 countries categorised according to the United Nations geographical grouping from 1990 to 2014a.

Caesarean section rates in 150 countries categorised according to United Nations geographical grouping in 2014a.

This dataset was created from the CDC's National Vital Statistics Reports Volume 56, Number 6. The dataset includes all data available from this report by state level and includes births by race and Hispanic origin, births to unmarried women, rates of cesarean delivery, and twin and multiple birth rates. The data are final for 2005. No value is represented by a -1. "Descriptive tabulations of data reported on the birth certificates of the 4.1 million births that occurred in 2005 are presented. Denominators for population-based rates are postcensal estimates derived from the U.S. 2000 census".

The datasets contain hospital discharges counts (numerators, denominators, volume counts), observed, expected and risk-adjusted rates with corresponding 95% confidence intervals for IQIs generated using methodology developed by Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The IQIs are a set of measures that provide a perspective on hospital quality of care using hospital administrative data. These indicators reflect quality of care inside hospitals and include inpatient mortality for certain procedures and medical conditions; utilization of procedures for which there are questions of overuse, underuse, and misuse; and volume of procedures for which there is some evidence that a higher volume of procedures is associated with lower mortality. All the IQI measures were calculated using Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System (SPARCS) inpatient data beginning 2009. US Census data files provided by AHRQ were used to derive denominators for county level (area level) IQI measures.

The mortality, volume and utilization measures IQIs are presented by hospital as rates or counts. Area-level utilization measures are presented by county as rates. For more information, check out: http://www.health.ny.gov/statistics/sparcs/. The "About" tab contains additional details concerning this dataset.

This statistic depicts large U.S. hospitals with the highest Cesarean section (C-section) rates among first-time, low-risk mothers in the U.S. as of 2017. According to the data, South Miami Hospital in Miami, Florida had a C-section rate for first-time, low-risk mothers of around ** percent. The targeted national average in the U.S. for such births is under ** percent.

The global Cesarean Section Pack market is experiencing robust growth, driven by rising cesarean birth rates worldwide, increasing demand for sterile and infection-control procedures in healthcare settings, and a growing preference for convenient, pre-packaged kits among healthcare professionals. The market's expansion is further fueled by advancements in medical technology, leading to the development of more efficient and effective packs tailored to specific surgical needs. While challenges exist, such as price sensitivity in emerging markets and stringent regulatory requirements, the overall market outlook remains positive. We estimate the market size in 2025 to be approximately $1.5 billion USD, based on observed growth in similar medical supply markets and considering the penetration of cesarean sections globally. A Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 7% is projected for the forecast period (2025-2033), reflecting sustained demand and innovation in the sector. Key market segments include disposable and reusable packs, categorized by components such as drapes, gowns, gloves, instruments, and antiseptic solutions. Competitive intensity is moderate to high, with established players like 3M, Medline Industries, and Mölnlycke Health Care vying for market share alongside smaller, specialized companies. Geographic regions like North America and Europe currently dominate the market due to higher healthcare spending and advanced healthcare infrastructure, but significant growth opportunities exist in developing economies in Asia-Pacific and Latin America as healthcare infrastructure improves and cesarean birth rates rise. The market is expected to see increased consolidation, with larger companies potentially acquiring smaller players to expand their product portfolios and geographical reach. Furthermore, technological advancements focusing on improved sterility, reduced costs, and enhanced surgical efficiency are likely to shape the market's future trajectory.

Demographic and clinical characteristics of individuals with a birth following a previous cesarean delivery, United States, 2011–2021, (N = 5,739,569)a.

Medical risk factors, obstetric complications and cesarean-section delivery rates in twin pregnancies.