Why are US mothers more likely to die in childbirth?

The United States remains one of the most dangerous wealthy nations for a woman to give birth.

Maternal mortality rose by 40% at the height of the pandemic, according to new data released by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

In 2021, 33 women died out of every 100,000 live births in the US, up from 23.8 in 2020.

That rate was more than double for black women, who were nearly three times more likely to die than white women, according to the CDC.

Compared to other countries, the maternal mortality rate was twice as high in the US than in the UK, Germany and France; and three times higher than in Spain, Italy, Japan and several other countries, according to the most recent global comparison data kept by the World Bank.