About 1 in 3 US births is a C-section (our arithmetic). In the 12 months ending June 2026, there were 32.5 cesarean deliveries per 100 births, provisional data from the CDC National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) show. NCHS flags that rate as significantly different from the same 12 months a year earlier.
How the data are counted
The figures here come in three kinds. Quarterly provisional estimates each cover the 12 months ending with that quarter, so the newest one runs from July 2025 through June 2026. The provisional 2025 report is based on 99.95% of all 2025 birth records that NCHS had received and processed as of February 3, 2026. Final data are now available through 2025.
The latest rate
For calendar 2025, the cesarean delivery rate was 32.4% (final), unchanged from 2024. In the quarterly series, the rate has moved within a narrow band, from 32.3 per 100 in the 12 months ending March 2024 to 32.5 in the 12 months ending June 2026, both provisional.
The NCHS FastStats count of deliveries by method is from final 2024 data. That year there were 1,173,391 cesarean deliveries and 2,450,519 vaginal deliveries, or 32.4% by cesarean. Final data count 3,612,012 US births in 2025.
How the rate changed
| Year | Cesarean delivery rate |
|---|---|
| 1996 | 20.7% |
| 2009 | 32.9% |
| 2019 | 31.7% |
| 2025 (final) | 32.4% |
The rate rose every year from 1996, when it was 20.7%, to a peak of 32.9% in 2009. It then generally declined to 31.7% in 2019. In 2024 it was 32.4% (final), 2% higher than the 2019 low and up from 32.3% in 2023, and it held at 32.4% in 2025 (final).
First births
NCHS also tracks a narrower measure, the low risk cesarean rate. It covers first births at term (37 completed weeks or more), with one baby positioned head first. In provisional data for calendar 2025, published in April 2026, that rate was 26.9%, up from 26.6% in 2024 (final), and the highest since 2012, when it was 27.2%; the October 2026 NCHS data brief on final 2025 births does not report this measure. In the 12 months ending June 2026, it was 26.9 per 100, also provisional.
After a previous cesarean
Two more measures follow births by whether the mother had a cesarean before. In 2024 (final), the primary cesarean rate, which counts cesarean deliveries among women who had not had one before, was 22.9%, up from 22.8% in 2023.
The rate of vaginal birth after a previous cesarean, often called VBAC, was 15.5% in 2024 (final), up from 15.1% in 2023. It has risen every year since 2016, when comparable national data became available. In the 12 months ending June 2026, the provisional VBAC rate was 16.3 per 100 women with a previous cesarean.
Close to 1 in 3
Through all of these changes, the overall rate has stayed close to 1 in 3 for more than 15 years: 32.9% in 2009 and 32.4% in 2025 (final).
Last checked: 2026-10-22, against NCHS quarterly provisional estimates through the 12 months ending June 2026, final birth data for 2025 and 2024, and provisional 2025 data for the low risk rate. This article was machine-checked against the sources above and has not been expert-reviewed. Spotted an error or a newer public figure? Please tell us on our contact page with the article link and we will review it.
Sources
- S1 National Center for Health Statistics, Division of Vital Statistics. “VSRR Quarterly provisional estimates for selected birth indicators.” data.cdc.gov dataset 76vv-a7x8, rows updated Sept 17, 2026. https://data.cdc.gov/d/76vv-a7x8 . Accessed Oct 22, 2026.
- S2 Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK, Gregory ECW. “Births: Provisional Data for 2025.” Vital Statistics Rapid Release, No. 43. National Center for Health Statistics, April 2026. Provisional; cited here for the low risk rate and the data notes. https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc/252434 . Accessed Oct 22, 2026.
- S3 Osterman M, Hamilton B, Martin J, Driscoll A, Valenzuela C. “Births: Final Data for 2024.” National Vital Statistics Reports, Vol. 75, No. 2. National Center for Health Statistics, June 9, 2026. https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc/252440 . Accessed Oct 22, 2026.
- S4 National Center for Health Statistics. “FastStats: Births, Method of Delivery.” Last reviewed June 10, 2026; shows final 2024 data. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/delivery.htm . Accessed Oct 22, 2026.
- S5 Hamilton BE, Osterman MJK. “Births in the United States, 2025.” NCHS Data Brief No. 571. National Center for Health Statistics, October 2026. https://doi.org/10.15620/cdc/252470 . Accessed Oct 22, 2026.