Cesarean section rates have been increasing since the late 1990’s, as seen in the graph below:

At the state level, Cesarean section rates vary by region. The highest rates are seen in the Atlantic South, and the lowest are in the Pacific Northwest:

Here is the freeze frame for the 2019 state Cesarean Rates:

Trends on a global scale:

The graph below displays the cesarean section rate by age category:

The 2021 cesarean section rates by race:

The graph below displays how the cesarean section rate differs by education:

Medical professionals across the country are working to decrease the United States’ cesarean section rate. Take a look at some of the interventions they are using:

• Ariadne Labs, Team Birth Project
• Doulas 
• Midwives
• Vaginal Births After Cesarean (VBACs)
• Doctors in England began changing the way cesarean sections are conducted in an effort to make cesarean sections healthier. Check out the details here

• *New* article from the Atlantic about the influence of cost and profit on the cesarean section rate in the United States.
• Check out this website for more cesarean section information.
• Read this article, which addresses the intersection between cesarean section and addiction. 
• Some medical professionals are working to make cesarean sections more similar to a natural births. Learn more about the technique here.
• Choice of hospital may be the largest predictor of cesarean section, according to Dr. Neel Shah. 
• Read a recent study published in the New England Journal of Medicine, looking at planned cesarean sections in twin births and risk of neonatal morbidity.