How common cesarean delivery is in the United States
Close to one in three births.
In 2024, 32.4% of all US births were cesarean deliveries. Among women having their first baby, at term, with one baby positioned head down, the rate was 26.6%. The first-time cesarean rate for all women was 22.9%, and 15.5% of women with a previous cesarean had a vaginal birth.
32.4%
All US births by cesarean, 2024
National vital statistics
26.6%
First-time, term, single, head-down births
National vital statistics
15.5%
Vaginal births among women with a prior cesarean
National vital statistics
The rate has been essentially flat for more than a decade. It peaked at 32.9% in 2009. Cesarean is not rare, and it is not an emergency exception. For most women in the United States it is one of the two likely ways their birth will end.
Where this comes from:
271. Osterman MJK, Hamilton BE, Martin JA, Driscoll AK, Valenzuela CP. Births: final data for 2024. Natl Vital Stat Rep. 2026;75(2):1-48.
272. Martin JA, Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK. Births in the United States, 2024. NCHS Data Brief. 2025;(535):1-8.
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