North Carolina's maternal mortality rate peaked in 2021, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic

The state's maternal mortality rate had been increasing since 2018.

A line graph showing North Carolina's maternal mortality rate compared to the United States' maternal mortality rate.
A maternal death is defined as the death of a woman while pregnant or within 42 days of the termination of pregnancy, from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy or its management, but not from accidental or incidental causes, according to the World Health Organization. Maternal mortality rate is the number of maternal deaths per 100,000 live births.
Chart: Devon MilleySource: The Centers for Disease Control and PreventionGet the data