Mississippi has the highest average cesarean section rate for low-risk, first-time mothers, while Nebrasksa has the lowest, according to data from The Leapfrog Group’s “2025 Maternity Care Report.”
The report, published March 25, showed that while hospitals have made strides in improving some aspects of maternity care, such as lowering episiotomy rates, C-section rates remain high nationally. Nationally, the average C-section rate was 25.3% in 2024, above Leapfrog’s national benchmark of 23.6% or lower — a standard that has not been achieved since the patient safety group began reporting the metric a decade ago.
Ten states with the highest average C-section rates:
Mississippi: 28.9%
New York: 28.3%
Massachusetts: 27.8%
Rhode Island: 27.5%
Connecticut: 27.5%
Georgia: 27.5%
Nevada: 27.5%
Louisiana: 27.2%
Florida: 27.2%
New Hampshire: 27.1%
And 10 states with the lowest rates:
Nebraska: 18.8%
Utah: 19.7%
Idaho: 20%
New Mexico: 20.5%
Kansas: 21.4%
Wisconsin: 21.6%
Colorado: 21.9%
Missouri: 21.9%
Iowa: 22.2%
Arizona: 22.4%
Note: This list excludes states where fewer than five hospitals submitted data.