Prenatal Care Statistics

In 2022, 78.7% of U.S. pregnant women received first-trimester prenatal care—see what the numbers show about gaps in timely access.
Magnus ÖbergAdrien Chevalier

Written by Magnus Öberg

Fact-checked by Adrien Chevalier

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Prenatal care is uneven, and the evidence points to measurable differences in coverage, timing, and follow-through. Across global trends, fewer than four in five pregnant people get four or more visits, and gaps can be seen in the first trimester and in insurance coverage. This page connects those patterns to research on earlier care, group and nurse-led models, and remote monitoring—showing how improvements link to better outcomes and where system barriers persist.

Key Takeaways

  1. 172% of countries globally had at least one skilled attendant during childbirth in 2023
  2. 2In 2022, 78.7% of pregnant women in the United States received first-trimester prenatal care (BRFSS)
  3. 3A 2018 systematic review found that antenatal care is associated with reduced perinatal mortality (pooled effect reported in review)
  4. 4In 2022, 85% of women in Latin America and the Caribbean received four or more antenatal care visits (WHO/UNICEF/World Bank trends estimate)
  5. 5In 2021, 74% of pregnant women globally received four or more antenatal care visits (WHO/UNICEF/World Bank trends estimate)
  6. 614.1% of pregnant people in the United States had incomes below 138% of the federal poverty level (2019–2020)
  7. 7In 2021, 64% of obstetric practices reported using electronic health record (EHR) patient portals to support prenatal care communications (survey of practices)
  8. 8In the United States, group prenatal care programs reduced the proportion of women with low birth weight by 26% compared with standard care in a multicenter pragmatic study (relative reduction)
  9. 9Remote prenatal monitoring interventions improved prenatal visit adherence; pooled effect corresponded to a 1.4 percentage-point absolute increase in adherence (systematic review estimate)
  10. 10A 2020 study estimated the cost impact of prenatal care interventions in preventing adverse outcomes, with costs and savings reported in the study analysis
  11. 11In 2019, 5.8% of births in the United States were uninsured
  12. 12The United States spent about $70.5 billion on maternity care in 2019 (including prenatal care components)
  13. 1311.6% of births in the United States were to mothers with no prenatal care or with late/no care (2019)
  14. 1442.3% of pregnant women in the United States had 'adequate' prenatal care but not 'adequate plus' (Kotelchuck index) in 2019
  15. 151 in 10 women in the United States (10.0%) reported not receiving prenatal care in the first trimester (2018)

Most places still fall short of consistent early prenatal care, but studies show early and supported care improves outcomes.

Related reading

01Health Outcomes

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  1. 172% of countries globally had at least one skilled attendant during childbirth in 2023
  2. 2In 2022, 78.7% of pregnant women in the United States received first-trimester prenatal care (BRFSS)
  3. 3A 2018 systematic review found that antenatal care is associated with reduced perinatal mortality (pooled effect reported in review)
  4. 4A 2016 systematic review reported that starting antenatal care early is associated with improved birth outcomes (pooled estimates reported in review)
  5. 5Risk of stillbirth is 1.9 times higher among women with no prenatal care versus those with adequate prenatal care (meta-analysis estimate)
  6. 6Women receiving prenatal care had a 23% lower risk of preterm birth compared with those without prenatal care in a pooled analysis (systematic review)
  7. 7Adequate prenatal care was associated with a 0.71 odds ratio for low birth weight versus inadequate prenatal care in a systematic review (pooled estimate)
  8. 8Prenatal care attendance reductions during pregnancy were associated with higher infant mortality rates; model-based estimate showed a 15% increase in risk among those missing care (observational study estimate)

More related reading

02Industry Overview

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  1. 1In 2022, 85% of women in Latin America and the Caribbean received four or more antenatal care visits (WHO/UNICEF/World Bank trends estimate)
  2. 2In 2021, 74% of pregnant women globally received four or more antenatal care visits (WHO/UNICEF/World Bank trends estimate)
  3. 314.1% of pregnant people in the United States had incomes below 138% of the federal poverty level (2019–2020)
  4. 410.2% of pregnant people in the United States who were non-Hispanic Asian had no prenatal care (2009–2019)
  5. 5Total U.S. maternity care spending was $70.5 billion in 2019, with prenatal care representing $23.4 billion (component breakdown)
  6. 6The estimated annual cost of maternal and child health conditions in the United States attributable to deficiencies in prenatal care was $4.8 billion in 2019 (cost estimate)
  7. 72.8% of pregnant people in the U.S. initiated prenatal care in the third trimester in 2019
  8. 8In the U.S., 87% of pregnant individuals enrolled in Medicaid receive prenatal care (Medicaid claims-based estimate)

More related reading

03Care Models

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  1. 1In 2021, 64% of obstetric practices reported using electronic health record (EHR) patient portals to support prenatal care communications (survey of practices)
  2. 2In the United States, group prenatal care programs reduced the proportion of women with low birth weight by 26% compared with standard care in a multicenter pragmatic study (relative reduction)
  3. 3Remote prenatal monitoring interventions improved prenatal visit adherence; pooled effect corresponded to a 1.4 percentage-point absolute increase in adherence (systematic review estimate)
  4. 4In a randomized trial of nurse-led prenatal case management, participants had 0.6 fewer missed prenatal appointments on average than controls (difference in means)

04Coverage And Cost

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  1. 1A 2020 study estimated the cost impact of prenatal care interventions in preventing adverse outcomes, with costs and savings reported in the study analysis
  2. 2In 2019, 5.8% of births in the United States were uninsured
  3. 3The United States spent about $70.5 billion on maternity care in 2019 (including prenatal care components)

More related reading

05Care Utilization

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  1. 111.6% of births in the United States were to mothers with no prenatal care or with late/no care (2019)
  2. 242.3% of pregnant women in the United States had 'adequate' prenatal care but not 'adequate plus' (Kotelchuck index) in 2019
  3. 31 in 10 women in the United States (10.0%) reported not receiving prenatal care in the first trimester (2018)

More related reading

06Clinical Effectiveness Evidence

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  1. 1The ACOG practice bulletin on antenatal corticosteroids reports that antenatal corticosteroids reduce the risk of neonatal respiratory morbidity (relative risk reduction in included trials)
  2. 2Randomized and quasi-experimental studies of group prenatal care have shown reductions in low birth weight and improved psychosocial outcomes; pooled effect supports benefit (evidence summary)
  3. 3Iron-folic acid supplementation during pregnancy is associated with a reduction in maternal anemia in randomized trials; pooled estimate indicates lower risk of anemia (evidence synthesis)

Cite this report

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APA
Magnus Öberg. (2026, September 21). Prenatal Care Statistics. Statpit. https://statpit.com/prenatal-care-statistics
MLA
Magnus Öberg. "Prenatal Care Statistics." Statpit, 21 Sep 2026, https://statpit.com/prenatal-care-statistics.
Chicago
Magnus Öberg. 2026. "Prenatal Care Statistics." Statpit. https://statpit.com/prenatal-care-statistics.

Sources and references

29 datasets cited across this report. Attribution is report-level.

data.unicef.orgcdc.govunicef.orgama-assn.orgpmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.govajpmonline.orgjamanetwork.comhealthaffairs.orgrand.orgajog.orgobgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.comnber.orgacademic.oup.comsciencedirect.comacog.orgthelancet.comurban.org

12 additional datasets are cited and not shown individually.