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 2023, the mortality rate for Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (NHPI) infants was 46% higher than infants nationwide.
In 2023, NHPI mothers were more than three times as likely as mothers nationwide to start prenatal care late or receive no prenatal care.

Additional Resources

MedlinePlus

Health Resources & Services Administration

Newborn Screening Information Center

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

HEAR HER Campaign

Related Data

Immunizations and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islanders

Further Reading

HHS OMH Knowledge Center Topic Guide: Infant Mortality

Occurrence

Infant mortality, rate per 1,000 live births, 2023
NHPI*	Total Population	Ratio (NHPI* / Total)
8.2	5.6	1.46

Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2025). Infant mortality in the United States, 2023 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 74, No. 7, Table 2). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Infant mortality by age of mother, rate per 1,000 live births, 2023
Age of Mother	NHPI*	Total Population	Ratio (NHPI* / Total)
15-19 years	Not Reported	10.4	Not Reported
20–24 years	8.7	7.2	1.20
25–29 years	5.6	5.2	1.07
30–34 years	7.1	4.6	1.54
35–39 years	11.4	4.9	2.31
40–54 years	Not Reported	6.8	Not Reported

Risk Factors for Complications

Mother received late or no prenatal care, percentage, 2023
NHPI*	Total Population	Ratio (NHPI* / Total)
22.4	7.0	3.20

Source:U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Health Statistics. (2025). Births: Final data for 2023 (National Vital Statistics Report, Vol. 74, No. 1, Table 13). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Mother smoked during pregnancy, percentage, 2023
NHPI*	Total Population	Ratio (NHPI* / Total)
1.7	3.0	0.57

*Population is non-Hispanic in the data source.

Date Last Reviewed: January 2026