Preterm birth in United States
United States: Preterm birth was 366,225 in 2020. ▼ Falling
Preterm birth in United States, 2010–2020
Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
Analysis
The most recent figure for preterm birth in United States is 366,225, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 11 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.1% on the previous year and down 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, preterm birth in United States peaked at 393,611 in 2015 and was at its lowest, 366,225, in 2020.
That places United States 8th out of 102 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 387,054 | 373,910 | 393,611 | 10 |
| 2020s | 366,225 | 366,225 | 366,225 | 1 |
Countries ranked near United States
- 5 Ethiopia 495,880 compare
- 6 Bangladesh 488,608 compare
- 7 Democratic Republic of Congo 487,473 compare
- 9 Brazil 310,651 compare
- 10 Philippines 190,462 compare
- 11 Tanzania 189,802 compare
More health data for United States
- Heat deaths vs projected death rates 1,069 (2090)
- Un projection of annual infant deaths 4,015 (2100)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by country 0 (2026)
- Deaths in armed conflicts by region 0 (2026)
- Age population, age 25, male, interpolated 2.37 million (2025)
- Age population, age 25, female, interpolated 2.22 million (2025)
- Age population, age 24, male, interpolated 2.38 million (2025)
- Age population, age 24, female, interpolated 2.24 million (2025)
- Age population, age 23, male, interpolated 2.37 million (2025)
- Age population, age 23, female, interpolated 2.23 million (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is preterm birth in United States?
- Preterm birth in United States was 366,225 in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
- What is the highest preterm birth recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 393,611 in 2015.
- What is the lowest preterm birth recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 366,225 in 2020.
- How does United States rank for preterm birth?
- United States ranks 8th out of 102 countries with data for 2020.
- Is preterm birth rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is down 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this United States data come from?
- The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Preterm birth (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO).