According to a U.S. hospital survey, the average nulliparous, term, singleton, vertex (NTSV) cesarean sections (c-sections) rate was 25.2 percent in 2022*. This is the c-section rate for low-risk first-time mothers and it did not meet the national target of 23.6 percent. Even higher is the rate of c-section among all live births in the U.S., standing at 32.1 percent in 2022 (which includes mothers of higher risks such as giving birth to multiples or having hypertension or diabetes).
Average cesarean section rates among first-time low-risk mothers among reporting U.S. hospitals from 2015 to 2022*
Over 2,300 hospitals that have the "2022 Leapfrom Hospital Survey" publicly reported, representing 74% of U.S. hospital beds.
Supplementary notes
*Nulliparous, Term, Singleton, Vertex (NTSV) Cesarean Birth rate: referring to C-sections for mothers with first-time pregnancies (nulliparous) that have reached at least 37 weeks of gestation (term) and have a single baby (singleton) in the head-down position (vertex). This measure exclusively examines the population of women least likely to need a C-section, offering a standardized way to compare rates at different hospitals.
National Healthy People 2030 target: NTSV cesarean birth rate: 23.6%.
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The Leapfrog Group. (May 23, 2023). Average cesarean section rates among first-time low-risk mothers among reporting U.S. hospitals from 2015 to 2022* [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved December 22, 2024, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1448381/ntsv-c-section-rates-in-us-hospitals/
The Leapfrog Group. "Average cesarean section rates among first-time low-risk mothers among reporting U.S. hospitals from 2015 to 2022*." Chart. May 23, 2023. Statista. Accessed December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1448381/ntsv-c-section-rates-in-us-hospitals/
The Leapfrog Group. (2023). Average cesarean section rates among first-time low-risk mothers among reporting U.S. hospitals from 2015 to 2022*. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: December 22, 2024. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1448381/ntsv-c-section-rates-in-us-hospitals/
The Leapfrog Group. "Average Cesarean Section Rates among First-time Low-risk Mothers among Reporting U.S. Hospitals from 2015 to 2022*." Statista, Statista Inc., 23 May 2023, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1448381/ntsv-c-section-rates-in-us-hospitals/
The Leapfrog Group, Average cesarean section rates among first-time low-risk mothers among reporting U.S. hospitals from 2015 to 2022* Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1448381/ntsv-c-section-rates-in-us-hospitals/ (last visited December 22, 2024)
Average cesarean section rates among first-time low-risk mothers among reporting U.S. hospitals from 2015 to 2022* [Graph], The Leapfrog Group, May 23, 2023. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1448381/ntsv-c-section-rates-in-us-hospitals/
