California's pregnancy-related mortality rate peaked in 2021, due in part to the COVID-19 pandemic

The state's pregnancy-related mortality rate increased almost 65% from 2017 to 2021.

A line graph showing California's pregnancy-related mortality rate compared to the United States' pregnancy-related mortality rate.
Pregnancy-related deaths are deaths during or within one year of the end of pregnancy from any cause related to or aggravated by the pregnancy, according to the CDC. The pregnancy-related mortality rate is the number of pregnancy-related deaths per 100,000 live births. There is no 2021 data for the United States.
Chart: Devon MilleySource: California Department of Public Health, The Centers for Disease Control and PreventionGet the data