Without Roe v. Wade, U.S. Maternal Mortality Rates May Get Even Worse
The United States is a surprisingly dangerous place to be pregnant. The U.S. maternal mortality rate—nearly 24 deaths per 100,000 live births, as of 2020—is far higher than in comparable developed nations, and research shows it has gotten worse in recent years, not better. Maternal death rates are particularly high among Black women, at 55 deaths per 100,000 births compared to 19 deaths per 100,000 births among white women.
One 2021 study estimated that, if the U.S. banned abortion outright, the overall number of pregnancy-related deaths would rise by more than 20% in subsequent years, with a 33% increase among Black women. That estimate doesn’t apply exactly to the present day, since abortion is expected to remain available in about half of U.S. states even without Roe. But research clearly suggests that when abortion access increases, maternal deaths go down—and vice versa.
