The rate of late fetal deaths in the United States, meaning losses at 28 weeks of pregnancy or later, fell 3% in 2024, according to final data from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics. The late fetal mortality rate dropped to 2.57 per 1,000 live births and fetal deaths, down from 2.66 in 2023, representing 9,333 losses.
The improvement did not extend to every stage of pregnancy. NCHS counted 19,837 fetal deaths at 20 weeks or more, often called stillbirths, in 2024, and the overall rate of 5.44 per 1,000 was not significantly different from the 2023 rate of 5.53. The early fetal mortality rate, covering 20 to 27 weeks, was unchanged at 2.89.
