HEALTH1.A Preterm birth and low birthweight: Percentage of infants born preterm by detailed race and Hispanic origin of mother, 1990–2020
HEALTH1A Excel Table
HEALTH1A Standard Error Excel Table
| Characteristic | 1990 | 1991 | 1992 | 1993 | 1994 | 1995 | 1996 | 1997 | 1998 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007a | 2008a | 2009a | 2010a | 2011a | 2012a | 2013a | 2014a | 2015a | 2016a | 2017a | 2018a | 2019a | 2020a |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Preterm (less than 37 completed weeks of gestation) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 10.6 | 10.8 | 10.7 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.4 | 11.6 | 11.8 | 11.6 | 11.9 | 12.1 | 12.3 | 12.5 | 12.7 | 12.8 | 10.4 | 10.4 | 10.1 | 10.0 | 9.8 | 9.8 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 9.8 | 9.9 | 10.0 | 10.2 | 10.1 |
| Race and Hispanic originb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| White, non-Hispanic | 8.5 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 9.1 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.9 | 10.2 | 10.5 | 10.4 | 10.8 | 11.0 | 11.3 | 11.5 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 9.9 | 9.8 | 9.5 | 9.4 | 9.2 | 9.1 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 8.9 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.3 | 9.1 |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 18.9 | 19.0 | 18.5 | 18.6 | 18.2 | 17.8 | 17.5 | 17.6 | 17.6 | 17.6 | 17.4 | 17.6 | 17.7 | 17.8 | 17.9 | 18.4 | 18.5 | 14.7 | 14.4 | 14.1 | 13.8 | 13.5 | 13.5 | 13.2 | 13.2 | 13.4 | 13.8 | 13.9 | 14.1 | 14.4 | 14.4 |
| American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic | 12.0 | 11.9 | 11.6 | 12.3 | 12.0 | 12.4 | 11.9 | 12.2 | 12.2 | 12.7 | 12.6 | 13.2 | 13.0 | 13.5 | 13.7 | 14.2 | 14.3 | 10.7 | 10.5 | 10.2 | 10.7 | 10.3 | 10.5 | 10.3 | 10.4 | 10.8 | 11.4 | 11.9 | 11.5 | 11.6 | 11.6 |
| Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanicc | 10.1 | 10.1 | 9.8 | 10.0 | 10.1 | 9.9 | 10.0 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 10.4 | 9.9 | 10.3 | 10.4 | 10.4 | 10.5 | 10.7 | 10.9 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 8.6 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Asian, non-Hispanicc | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8.6 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 8.5 |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanicc | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 11.5 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 11.2 | 12.0 |
| Hispanic | 11.0 | 11.0 | 10.7 | 11.0 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.9 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 11.6 | 11.9 | 12.0 | 12.1 | 12.2 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 10.0 | 9.8 |
| Mexican American | 10.6 | 10.6 | 10.4 | 10.7 | 10.6 | 10.6 | 10.5 | 10.9 | 11.0 | 11.1 | 11.0 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 11.7 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.9 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 8.9 | 9.2 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.8 | 9.7 |
| Puerto Rican | 13.4 | 13.5 | 13.2 | 13.3 | 13.4 | 13.4 | 13.2 | 13.7 | 13.9 | 13.7 | 13.5 | 13.7 | 14.0 | 13.8 | 14.0 | 14.3 | 14.4 | 12.0 | 11.9 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.3 | 11.2 | 10.9 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 11.1 | 11.2 | 10.9 | 11.5 | 11.4 |
| Cuban | 9.8 | 9.7 | 10.0 | 10.4 | 10.1 | 10.1 | 10.3 | 11.0 | 11.4 | 11.5 | 10.6 | 10.6 | 10.5 | 11.8 | 12.8 | 13.2 | 13.1 | 10.6 | 10.5 | 9.8 | 9.4 | 9.1 | 9.5 | 8.9 | 9.0 | 9.3 | 9.5 | 9.0 | 9.2 | 9.5 | 9.0 |
| Central or South American | 10.9 | 10.9 | 10.5 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 10.7 | 10.9 | 11.2 | 11.6 | 11.4 | 11.0 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 11.7 | 12.0 | 12.1 | 8.8 | 9.0 | 8.6 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.2 | 9.4 | 9.4 |
| Other and unknown Hispanic | 11.2 | 11.1 | 11.2 | 11.7 | 11.6 | 11.7 | 12.0 | 12.0 | 12.1 | 11.9 | 12.2 | 12.4 | 12.8 | 12.6 | 12.6 | 13.6 | 14.2 | 10.9 | 10.4 | 10.4 | 10.4 | 9.9 | 9.9 | 9.7 | 9.6 | 9.6 | 10.0 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 10.6 | 10.2 |
| Early preterm (less than 34 completed weeks of gestation) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.7 |
| Race and Hispanic originb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| White, non-Hispanic | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.2 |
| Black, non-Hispanic | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 5.3 | 5.1 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.8 | 4.8 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.9 | 4.8 |
| American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.9 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.9 | 3.0 | 3.1 | 3.2 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
| Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanicc | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.2 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Asian, non-Hispanicc | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.1 | 2.2 | 2.1 | 2.1 | 2.1 |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanicc | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3.1 | 2.7 | 3.6 | 2.9 | 3.1 |
| Hispanic | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.5 |
| Mexican American | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.4 |
| Puerto Rican | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3.6 | 3.7 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 3.4 | 3.4 | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.5 | 3.3 | 3.3 | 3.2 | 3.4 | 3.4 |
| Cuban | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.9 | 2.6 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 2.6 | 2.6 | 2.2 |
| Central or South American | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.2 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.3 | 2.3 | 2.4 | 2.3 |
| Other and unknown Hispanic | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 3.0 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.9 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.7 | 2.7 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.8 | 2.9 | 2.7 |
| Late preterm (34–36 completed weeks of gestation) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | 7.3 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 8.3 | 8.2 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 8.9 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.2 | 7.2 | 7.0 | 7.0 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.3 | 7.5 | 7.4 |
| Race and Hispanic originb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| White, non-Hispanic | 6.1 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.6 | 6.7 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 8.1 | 8.3 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 7.4 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.5 | 6.7 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 7.0 | 6.9 |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 11.5 | 11.6 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 11.2 | 10.9 | 10.8 | 10.9 | 11.0 | 11.0 | 10.9 | 11.2 | 11.2 | 11.4 | 11.4 | 11.8 | 11.9 | 9.4 | 9.3 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.4 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 8.8 | 9.1 | 9.2 | 9.5 | 9.5 |
| American Indian or Alaska Native, non-Hispanic | 8.4 | 8.1 | 8.1 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 8.8 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 9.3 | 9.2 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 10.2 | 10.3 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.4 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 8.0 | 8.4 | 8.8 | 8.4 | 8.7 | 8.6 |
| Asian or Pacific Islander, non-Hispanicc | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.2 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.4 | 7.4 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 7.3 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.9 | 8.1 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.7 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.4 | — | — | — | — | — |
| Asian, non-Hispanicc | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 6.5 | 6.3 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.4 |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, non-Hispanicc |
— | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | 8.4 | 7.9 | 8.2 | 8.3 | 9.0 |
| Hispanic | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.7 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 7.8 | 8.1 | 8.2 | 8.2 | 8.1 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 8.6 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 8.8 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 7.2 | 7.4 | 7.3 |
| Mexican American | 7.6 | 7.7 | 7.5 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 7.9 | 8.0 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 8.2 | 8.3 | 8.5 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 8.6 | 6.6 | 6.6 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.3 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.4 | 6.5 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 7.3 | 7.3 |
| Puerto Rican | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.0 | 9.1 | 9.1 | 9.0 | 9.3 | 9.4 | 9.5 | 9.2 | 9.4 | 9.6 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.8 | 9.8 | 8.4 | 8.2 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.7 | 7.9 | 7.7 | 8.1 | 8.0 |
| Cuban | 6.9 | 6.8 | 7.2 | 7.6 | 7.3 | 7.1 | 7.4 | 8.0 | 8.2 | 8.3 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 8.7 | 9.5 | 9.5 | 9.6 | 7.8 | 7.6 | 7.1 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 6.7 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.5 | 7.0 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.9 | 6.8 |
| 7.7 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 7.7 | 7.6 | 7.6 | 7.8 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 8.3 | 7.8 | 8.1 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 8.5 | 8.7 | 8.8 | 6.5 | 6.7 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.3 | 6.2 | 6.4 | 6.8 | 6.8 | 6.9 | 7.1 | 7.1 | |
| Other and unknown Hispanic | 8.0 | 7.9 | 7.9 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 8.3 | 8.4 | 8.4 | 8.5 | 8.3 | 8.6 | 8.9 | 9.2 | 9.0 | 9.2 | 9.8 | 10.2 | 7.9 | 7.6 | 7.5 | 7.5 | 7.1 | 7.1 | 7.0 | 6.9 | 6.8 | 7.3 | 7.4 | 7.5 | 7.7 | 7.5 |
| — Not available. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| a Beginning with 2014, the obstetric estimate of gestation at delivery (OE) replaces the gestational age measure based on the date of the last normal menses (LMP) as the new standard for estimating the gestational age of a newborn. Preterm estimates using OE to calculate gestational age are presented back to 2007; earlier years are based on the LMP. (Martin, J. A., Osterman, M. J. K., Kirmeyer, S. E., & Gregory, E. C. W. [2015]. Measuring gestational age in vital statistics data: Transitioning to the obstetric estimate. National Vital Statistics Reports, 64[5], 1–20.) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| b 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 onward 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. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| c 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 the 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 gestational age. 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 was 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. Beginning in 2003, data are no longer available for Asian or Pacific Islander subgroups. Data prior to 2007 use a different definition of gestation and therefore are not comparable with more recent data. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SOURCE: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics System. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||