HEALTH1.B Preterm birth and low birthweight: Percentage of infants born with low birthweight by detailed race and Hispanic origin of mother, 1980–2021

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Characteristic 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Low birthweight (less than 2,500 grams, or 5 lb 8 oz)
Total 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.8 6.7 6.8 6.8 6.9 6.9 7.1 7.0 7.1 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.6 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.2 8.2 8.2 8.1 8.1 8.0 8.0 8.0 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.3 8.3 8.2 8.5
Race and Hispanic origina
White, non-Hispanic 5.7 5.7 5.6 5.6 5.5 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.7 5.7 5.9 6.1 6.2 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.6 6.6 6.8 6.9 7.0 7.2 7.3 7.3 7.3 7.2 7.2 7.1 7.1 7.0 7.0 7.0 6.9 7.0 7.0 6.9 6.9 6.8 7.0
Black, non-Hispanic 12.7 12.6 12.4 12.8 12.5 12.6 12.9 13.1 13.3 13.6 13.3 13.6 13.4 13.4 13.3 13.2 13.1 13.1 13.2 13.2 13.1 13.1 13.4 13.6 13.7 14.0 14.0 13.9 13.7 13.6 13.5 13.3 13.2 13.1 13.2 13.3 13.7 13.9 14.1 14.2 14.2 14.7
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic 6.8 5.8 6.1 5.9 6.0 5.6 5.6 5.9 6.3 6.4 6.3 6.1 6.2 6.4 6.4 6.6 6.5 6.7 6.8 7.0 6.7 7.4 7.2 7.4 7.4 7.4 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.3 7.6 7.6 7.6 7.5 7.6 7.6 7.8 8.2 8.0 8.0 7.9 8.1
Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanicb 7.2 7.2 7.0 6.6 6.8 6.2 6.5 6.4 6.2 6.5 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.5 6.8 6.9 7.1 7.2 7.4 7.4 7.3 7.5 7.8 7.8 7.9 8.0 8.1 8.1 8.2 8.3 8.5 8.4 8.2 8.3 8.0 8.4
Asian, non-Hispanicb 8.4 8.5 8.6 8.7 8.5 9.2
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanicb 7.7 7.7 9.0 7.6 8.4 9.3
Asian Indian 10.6 10.6 10.4 10.7 10.2 10.9
Chinese 5.2 5.6 5.3 5.1 5.0 5.0 4.8 5.0 4.6 4.9 4.7 5.1 5.0 4.9 4.8 5.3 5.0 5.1 5.3 5.2 5.1 5.3 5.5 5.7 5.7 6.0 6.3 6.3 6.7
Filipino 7.4 7.5 7.2 7.3 7.8 6.9 7.4 7.3 7.2 7.4 7.3 7.3 7.4 7.0 7.8 7.8 7.9 8.3 8.2 8.3 8.5 8.7 8.6 9.9 10.1 10.0 10.4 9.9 10.4
Vietnamese 7.9 7.8 8.0 8.2 7.8 8.4
Korean 6.2 6.1 6.0 6.3 5.8 6.3
Japanese 6.6 6.2 6.1 6.1 5.9 6.2 6.0 6.5 6.7 6.7 6.2 5.9 7.0 6.5 6.9 7.3 7.3 6.8 7.5 7.9 7.1 7.3 7.6 8.6 8.5 8.4 8.4 7.0 8.5
Hispanic 6.1 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.2 6.2 6.1 6.2 6.2 6.2 6.1 6.2 6.1 6.2 6.2 6.3 6.3 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.4 6.5 6.5 6.7 6.8 6.9 7.0 6.9 7.0 6.9 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.1 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.4 7.8
Mexican American 5.6 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.7 5.8 5.6 5.7 5.6 5.6 5.5 5.6 5.6 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.9 6.0 6.0 5.9 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.6 6.6 6.8 6.9 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.1 7.5
Puerto Rican 9.0 9.0 9.1 8.9 8.9 8.7 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.0 9.4 9.2 9.2 9.1 9.4 9.2 9.4 9.7 9.3 9.3 9.3 9.7 10.0 9.8 9.9 10.1 9.8 9.9 9.6 9.6 9.7 9.4 9.4 9.5 9.4 9.5 9.7 9.4 9.8 9.6 9.8
Cuban 5.6 5.8 5.8 5.7 5.9 6.0 5.5 5.9 5.9 5.8 5.7 5.6 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.5 6.5 6.8 6.5 6.8 6.5 6.5 6.5 7.0 7.7 7.6 7.1 7.7 7.8 7.5 7.3 7.1 7.4 7.3 7.5 7.2 7.1 7.4 7.1 7.1 6.8 7.4
Central or South American 5.8 5.7 5.6 6.2 5.8 5.7 5.7 5.7 5.6 5.8 5.8 5.9 5.8 5.9 6.0 6.2 6.0 6.3 6.5 6.4 6.3 6.5 6.5 6.7 6.7 6.8 6.8 6.7 6.7 6.6 6.5 6.7 6.6 6.8 6.7 6.7 7.1 6.9 7.0 7.0 6.9 7.3
Other and unknown Hispanic 7.0 7.0 7.3 7.2 6.9 6.8 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.7 6.9 7.3 7.2 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.7 7.9 7.6 7.6 7.8 8.0 7.9 8.0 7.8 8.3 8.5 8.6 8.2 8.3 8.4 8.0 8.0 8.0 7.9 8.1 8.1 8.2 8.4 8.4 8.1 8.5
Moderately low birthweight (1,500 to 2,499 grams, or 3 lb 5 oz to 5 lb 8 oz)
Total 5.7 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.5 5.6 5.6 5.7 5.7 5.8 5.7 5.8 5.8 5.9 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.2 6.2 6.3 6.3 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.7 6.7 6.8 6.7 6.7 6.6 6.6 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9 7.1
Race and Hispanic origina
White, non-Hispanic 4.8 4.8 4.7 4.7 4.6 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.7 4.8 4.8 4.9 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.5 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 6.0 6.1 6.1 6.1 6.0 6.0 5.9 6.0 5.9 5.9 5.9 5.8 5.9 5.9 5.9 5.9 5.9 6.0
Black, non-Hispanic 10.2 10.1 9.9 10.2 9.9 9.9 10.2 10.4 10.5 10.6 10.4 10.6 10.4 10.4 10.3 10.2 10.1 10.1 10.1 10.0 10.0 10.0 10.3 10.5 10.6 10.7 10.9 10.7 10.7 10.5 10.5 10.3 10.3 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.7 10.9 11.1 11.2 11.3 11.8
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic 6.0 5.3 5.0 4.9 5.1 4.7 4.7 4.9 5.3 5.4 5.2 5.1 5.3 5.4 5.3 5.5 5.3 5.5 5.6 5.8 5.6 6.1 6.0 6.1 6.1 6.2 6.2 6.2 6.3 5.9 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.1 6.4 6.3 6.4 6.8 6.7 6.8 6.7 6.8
Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanicb 6.2 6.2 6.0 5.8 5.9 5.3 5.7 5.6 5.4 5.6 5.6 5.7 5.6 5.7 5.9 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.3 6.5 6.7 6.7 6.8 6.9 7.0 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.2 7.1 7.2 6.9 7.3
Asian, non-Hispanicb 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.5 8.1
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanicb 6.2 6.6 7.5 6.2 7.0 7.6
Asian Indian 9.2 9.2 9.1 9.4 9.0 9.6
Chinese 4.5 4.9 4.6 4.3 4.3 4.4 4.2 4.4 4.0 4.3 4.2 4.5 4.3 4.3 4.2 4.6 4.4 4.4 4.6 4.5 4.3 4.6 4.8 5.1 5.1 5.4 5.6 5.6 5.9
Filipino 6.4 6.5 6.3 6.3 6.8 6.0 6.5 6.4 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.3 6.4 6.1 6.6 6.7 6.7 7.0 6.9 6.9 7.1 7.5 7.3 8.4 8.5 8.5 8.9 8.5 8.8
Vietnamese 6.9 6.9 7.1 7.3 6.9 7.5
Korean 5.4 5.3 5.3 5.6 5.1 5.7
Japanese 5.7 5.5 5.2 5.5 5.1 5.4 5.1 5.7 5.8 5.8 5.5 5.3 6.2 5.8 6.0 6.4 6.5 6.0 6.7 7.0 6.4 6.6 6.6 7.8 7.6 7.7 7.6 6.3 7.7
Hispanic 5.2 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.3 5.4 5.3 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.8 5.7 5.8 5.7 5.8 5.8 5.8 5.9 5.9 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.2 6.3 6.2 6.5
Mexican American 4.9 5.0 5.0 4.9 5.0 5.1 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.4 5.5 5.5 5.7 5.7 5.9 5.9 6.0 6.0 6.3
Puerto Rican 7.5 7.6 7.8 7.4 7.4 7.5 7.7 8.0 7.8 8.0 8.2 7.9 8.0 7.7 7.8 7.9 7.6 7.7 7.6 7.7 7.8 7.9 7.7 8.0 7.8 8.0
Cuban 5.2 5.4 5.2 5.3 5.3 5.2 5.4 5.6 6.4 6.1 5.8 6.4 6.4 6.0 5.9 5.8 5.9 6.0 6.0 5.8 5.9 6.2 5.9 5.7 5.7 6.0
Central and South American 4.9 5.1 5.3 5.3 5.1 5.3 5.3 5.5 5.5 5.6 5.7 5.6 5.6 5.5 5.4 5.5 5.5 5.6 5.6 5.6 5.9 5.8 5.9 5.9 5.9 6.2
Other and unknown Hispanic 6.2 6.6 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.7 6.5 6.7 6.5 6.9 7.1 7.2 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.6 6.6 6.6 6.5 6.7 6.7 6.8 7.0 7.0 6.8 7.1
Very low birthweight (less than 1,500 grams, or 3 lb 5 oz)
Total 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.4
Race and Hispanic origina
White, non-Hispanic 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0
Black, non-Hispanic 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.6 2.6 2.7 2.7 2.7 2.8 3.0 2.9 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.0 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.1 3.2 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.2 3.2 3.0 3.1 3.0 3.0 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9 3.0 3.0 2.9 2.9 2.9 2.9
American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic 0.8 0.6 1.1 0.9 1.0 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 0.9 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.3 1.3
Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanicb 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.1
Asian, non-Hispanicb 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.2
Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanicb 1.5 1.1 1.5 1.3 1.5 1.7
Asian Indian 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.2 1.3
Chinese 0.7 0.7 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.5 0.7 0.7 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.1 0.6 0.6 0.7 0.6 0.8
Filipino 1.0 1.0 0.9 1.0 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.2 1.3 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.5 1.4 1.6
Vietnamese 1.0 0.9 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.9
Korean 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.7 0.7 0.6
Japanese 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.6 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.9 0.9 0.7 0.6 0.9 0.7 0.9 0.9 0.8 0.8 0.8 0.9 0.8 0.7 1.0 0.8 1.0 0.7 0.8 0.6 0.8
Hispanic 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.3
Mexican American 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.0 0.9 1.0 0.9 1.0 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2
Puerto Rican 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.5 1.5 1.3 1.5 1.6 1.6 1.7 1.6 1.7 1.7 1.7 1.6 1.8 1.7 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 2.0 2.0 2.0 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.9 1.8 1.8 1.8 1.7 1.9 1.7 1.7 1.8 1.7 1.8 1.8 1.8
Cuban 1.0 1.2 0.9 1.0 1.0 1.2 1.1 1.0 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.2 1.3 1.2 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.3 1.5 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.2 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.1 1.4
Central and South American 1.0 0.9 0.8 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.0 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.1
Other and unknown Hispanic 1.0 0.9 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.1 1.0 1.1 1.1 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.3 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.3 1.3 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.4 1.5 1.3 1.4
— Not available.
a Race refers to mother's race. The 1977 U.S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) standards for data on race and ethnicity were used to classify persons into one of the following four race groups: White, Black, American Indian or Alaskan Native, or Asian or Pacific Islander. The revised OMB standards issued in 1997 permitted the option of selecting more than one race. Multiple-race data were reported on the birth certificate by 6 states in 2003, 15 states in 2004, 19 states in 2005, 23 states in 2006, 27 states in 2007, 30 states in 2008, 33 states and the District of Columbia (DC) in 2009, 38 states and DC in 2010, 40 states and DC in 2011, 41 states and DC in 2012, 44 states and DC in 2013, 49 states and DC in 2014 and 2015, and all 50 states and DC in 2016. The multiple-race data for these states were bridged during the transition to the single-race categories of the 1977 OMB standards for comparability with other states. Beginning with 2016 data, the 1997 OMB standards were used to classify persons into one of the following five race groups: White, Black or African American, Asian, American Indian or Alaska Native, or Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander. All categories are single race. Due to the adoption of the 1997 OMB standards, data for 2016 and subsequent years are not strictly comparable with earlier data. Data on race and Hispanic origin are collected and reported separately. Persons of Hispanic origin may be of any race.
b Data for 2003–2015 were bridged to the 1977 OMB race categories. In 2016, the 1997 OMB race categories were adopted. As a result, data for 2016 onward are shown separately for Asian and Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander race groups. Data for the combined Asian or Pacific Islander race group are not available after 2015.
NOTE: Excludes live births with unknown birthweight. Trend data for births to Hispanic and to White, non-Hispanic and Black, non-Hispanic women are affected by expansion of the reporting area in which an item on Hispanic origin is included on the birth certificate. The number of states in the reporting area increased from 22 states in 1980 to 48 states and DC in 1990 and all 50 states and DC from 1993 onward. Trend data for births to Asian or Pacific Islander and Hispanic women are also affected by immigration. Data for Asian subgroups are not available from 2003–2015.
SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System.