16% of Births Take Place in Catholic and Catholic-Affiliated Hospitals Each Year
555,000 babies are born in these facilities. The Catholic Church's ethical and religious directives restrict reproductive and contraceptive care.
U.S. state map showing that Washington and Oklahoma have the highest share of births in Catholic and Catholic-affiliated hospitals at 50% and 41%. Rates range from 30% to 40% in Alaska, Colorado, Iowa, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Oregon, and South Dakota. Hawaii, North Carolina, Vermont, and Wyoming have no Catholic hospitals.
