Preterm birth rate in United States of America

United States of America: Preterm birth rate was 9.98 in 2020. ▬ Flat

Latest (2020)
9.98
Change on year
up 0.2%
World rank
18th
of 102 countries
All-time high
9.98
in 2020
All-time low
9.72
in 2010
Years of data
11
2010–2020

Preterm birth rate in United States of America, 2010–2020

02468102010201520202010: 9.72011: 9.72012: 9.82013: 9.82014: 9.82015: 9.92016: 9.92017: 9.92018: 9.92019: 102020: 10

Source: World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.

Analysis

United States of America recorded 9.98 for preterm birth rate in 2020. That is the highest value across all 11 years on record.

That represents a change of up 0.2% on the previous year and up 2.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, preterm birth rate in United States of America peaked at 9.98 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 9.72, in 2010.

That places United States of America 18th out of 102 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

Preterm birth rate in United States of America, year by year

Annual values for Preterm birth rate (per 100 live births) in United States of America, 2010 to 2020.
Year Value Change
2010 9.72
2011 9.74 +0.3%
2012 9.77 +0.3%
2013 9.8 +0.3%
2014 9.82 +0.3%
2015 9.85 +0.3%
2016 9.88 +0.3%
2017 9.9 +0.3%
2018 9.93 +0.3%
2019 9.95 +0.3%
2020 9.98 +0.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 9.84 9.72 9.95 10
2020s 9.98 9.98 9.98 1

Countries ranked near United States of America

  1. 15 Türkiye 11.01 compare
  2. 16 Botswana 10.78 compare
  3. 17 Guatemala 10.48 compare
  4. 19 Uganda 9.95 compare
  5. 20 Nigeria 9.92 compare
  6. 21 Maldives 9.84 compare

See the full ranking of 120 places →

More health data for United States of America

All data for United States of America →

Frequently asked questions

What is preterm birth rate in United States of America?
Preterm birth rate in United States of America was 9.98 in 2020, according to World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory.
What is the highest preterm birth rate recorded in United States of America?
The highest recorded value was 9.98 in 2020.
What is the lowest preterm birth rate recorded in United States of America?
The lowest recorded value was 9.72 in 2010.
How does United States of America rank for preterm birth rate?
United States of America ranks 18th out of 102 countries with data for 2020.
Is preterm birth rate rising or falling in United States of America?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this United States of America data come from?
The figures come from World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory, published as part of Preterm birth rate (per 100 live births). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Preterm birth rate in United States of America. Statizoid, drawing on World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/preterm-birth-rate-per-100-live-births-2/united-states/

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About this data

Indicator
Preterm birth rate (per 100 live births)
Source
World Health Organization, Global Health Observatory
Licence
CC BY-NC-SA 3.0 IGO (WHO)
Coverage
120 places, 1,320 data points, 2010–2020
Last refreshed