Infant Mortality and Native Hawaiians/Pacific Islanders

Infant mortality refers to the death of a baby between 1 day and 1 year old. Deaths that happen before a baby is 28 days old are also called neonatal deaths. Babies can die for many reasons, such as birth defects, infections, or accidents. It is important to understand the difference between causes and contributors to infant mortality. A cause is what directly leads to a baby’s death. A contributor is something that increases the risk of death but does not directly cause it. While many leading causes of infant death cannot be fully prevented, parents and caregivers can lower a baby’s risk by making healthy choices and getting care before and during pregnancy.

  • In 2024, the mortality rate for Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NHPI) infants was 44% higher than infants nationwide.

  • In 2024, NHPI infants were 37% more likely than infants nationwide to die from birth defects.

  • In 2024, NHPI mothers were more than three times as likely as mothers nationwide to receive late or no prenatal care.

Additional Resources

MedlinePlus

Health Resources & Services Administration

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Related Data

Further Reading

Occurrence

Infant mortality, rate per 1,000 live births, 2024
NHPI*Total PopulationRatio (NHPI* / Total)
7.95.51.44
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). Infant mortality in the United States, 2024 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 75, No. 3, Table 2). U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Infant mortality by age of mother, rate per 1,000 live births, 2024
Age of MotherNHPI*Total PopulationRatio (NHPI* / Total)
15-19 yearsNot Reported9.8Not Reported
20–24 years8.96.91.29
25–29 years8.55.21.63
30–34 years7.74.71.65
35–39 yearsNot Reported4.9Not Reported
40–54 yearsNot Reported7.0Not Reported
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). Infant mortality in the United States, 2024 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 75, No. 3, Table 2). U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Leading Causes of Death

Infant mortality rate for the top 5 leading causes of death for Native Hawaiian or
Other Pacific Islander, rate per 100,000 live births, 2024
Cause of DeathNHPI*Total PopulationRatio (NHPI* / Total)
Low Birthweight96.481.21.19
Congenital Malformations154.0112.71.37
Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)Not Reported37.2Not Reported
Accidents (unintentional injuries)Not Reported34.0Not Reported
Maternal complications of pregnancyNot Reported33.0Not Reported
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). Infant mortality in the United States, 2024 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 75, No. 3, Table 4). U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

Risk Factors for Complications

Mother received late or no prenatal care, percentage, 2024
NHPI*Total PopulationRatio (NHPI* / Total)
22.77.33.11
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). Births: Final data for 2024 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 75, No. 2, Table C). U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.
Mother smoked during pregnancy, percentage, 2024
NHPI*Total PopulationRatio (NHPI* / Total)
1.32.40.54
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2026). Births: Final data for 2024 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 75, No. 2, Table C). U.S. Department of Health & Human Services.

*Population is non-Hispanic in the data source.


Date Last Reviewed: August 2026