U.S. infant mortality hits record low in 2025, though still behind peer nations

Preliminary CDC data show the United States recorded its lowest infant mortality rate ever in 2025. The rate fell to just under 5.4 deaths per 1,000 live births.

That figure represents a modest decline from about 5.5 in 2024 and 5.6 in the two preceding years, translating to several hundred fewer infant deaths each year.

Researchers cannot pinpoint a single cause for the improvement, but Dr. Michael Warren of the March of Dimes called the trend encouraging and expressed hope it will continue.

The provisional count puts total infant deaths at roughly 19,350 for the year, down from about 20,050 in 2024, even as the United States remains behind comparable countries.