August 13, 2025 – The McKinsey Institute for Economic Mobility, in collaboration with the McKinsey Health Institute, today released Closing the Black maternal-health gap: Healthier lives, stronger economies – the institutes’ latest report examining maternal health disparities for Black women in the United States. The analysis examines the health and economic opportunity that exists to close the Black maternal health gap in support of women, their families, communities, and the broader economy.
Among the findings:
- Black women are up to four times more likely than women of other races and ethnicities to die of pregnancy-related complications – a trend that extends to Black infants, who are more than twice as likely to die in their first year than infants of other races.
- Any woman giving birth in the United States in 2025 will spend ten additional days in poor health each year, for the rest of her life. The burden is not evenly distributed: Black women experience a higher incidence than women of other races and ethnicities for 14 out of the 17 maternal-morbidity conditions included in our analysis.
- Addressing this disparity could restore 350,000 additional healthy life years for Black mothers. By scaling known interventions in care delivery, Black mothers could regain up to 350,000 healthy life years; we could also save 35,000 Black infants by 2040.
- These interventions could also boost the U.S. economy by $25 billion. This includes a $24.4 billion GDP uplift, largely by enabling women to contribute more fully to their families, communities, and the economy. Closing the gap would save at least $385 million in healthcare costs each year; reducing unnecessary Cesarean sections among Black women in the United States alone could save $215 million annually, while improving maternal and infant outcomes.
This analysis builds on research from the McKinsey Health Institute, released in collaboration with the World Economic Forum, examining the $1 trillion opportunity to close the women's health gap globally.
“The gold standard for a woman should be about thriving in and after pregnancy, not simply surviving it,” said Fadesola Adetosoye, author, associate partner, and affiliated leader of the Institute for Economic Mobility. “It's not lost on me that Black women are losing time in our most productive years to the maternal morbidity gap, impacting our ability to contribute to society and build up the economic fidelity of our families. This is an issue of health as well as an issue of economic mobility. Closing the Black maternal health gap in the U.S. could add up to $25 billion in GDP.”
"Most women I care for have survived childbirth — but too many never fully recover,” said Dr. Caroline Berchuck, author, associate partner, and co-director of Women’s Health with the McKinsey Health Institute. “Closing the Black maternal-health gap could save thousands of mothers and babies, restore 10 healthy days per year for women who give birth in 2025, and add billions to our economy. We can get there by doing five things: counting what matters with better data, studying women so treatments work for everyone, caring with proven interventions like stronger postpartum follow-up, including women through culturally responsive care, and investing in solutions that scale. These steps are proven, practical, and ready to save lives now.”
"While we have many of the solutions to change outcomes, we need to make sure we deliver them and still invest in innovation," said Molly Bode, author, partner, and affiliated leader of the McKinsey Health Institute. "By bringing together public, private, and philanthropic action and capital, we can unlock transformative solutions that not only improve maternal and newborn health outcomes but also strengthen community and economic well-being."
"Closing the maternal health gap in the United States is a challenge that no single stakeholder can solve," said Dr. Pooja Kumar, author, senior partner, and global leader of the McKinsey Health Institute. "It will require collaboration from across the public, private, and philanthropic sectors to reimagine how we measure outcomes, deliver care, and invest in innovation. This is an opportunity to create the kind of systemic change that will benefit generations to come, adding years to life and life to years."
"To adequately address the Black maternal health gap in the U.S. and create a future where maternal care is safe, respectful, and equitable, stakeholders will need to invest in scalable, data-driven interventions," said Jordan VanLare, author and senior partner. "This starts with counting what matters, studying what works, caring in ways that heal, including those who are overlooked, and investing in enduring solutions."