Gestational hypertension was recorded in 10.4% of U.S. births in 2024, up from 6.0% in 2016, according to a National Center for Health Statistics report released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on July 29. That represents a 73% increase in eight years and moves the condition from roughly one in 17 births to about one in 10.
The report analyzed birth-certificate data for mothers who gave birth in the United States from 2016 through 2024. In this data system, gestational hypertension covers high blood pressure diagnosed during pregnancy, including pregnancy-induced hypertension and preeclampsia. It does not include chronic hypertension that existed before pregnancy. That distinction matters: the 10.4% figure describes one category recorded at birth, not every type of high blood pressure affecting pregnant patients.
A Rise Across Every State
The increase was not confined to a single region or demographic group. The CDC data showed higher rates in every state and across every maternal age group, race and ethnicity group, and pre-pregnancy body-mass-index category examined. An independent report published July 30 noted that rates also increased among underweight mothers and younger groups, making it difficult to explain the national pattern solely through rising obesity or older maternal age.
There were still important differences in 2024. The rate was 7.1% among non-Hispanic Asian mothers and 13.2% among non-Hispanic American Indian or Alaska Native mothers. Mothers age 40 and older had higher rates than younger age groups, and pregnancies involving twins or other multiples had nearly twice the rate found in singleton births. Eight states recorded rates of at least 13%, while nine were below 9%.
Those comparisons identify where the burden is heavier, but they do not establish why rates rose. Birth certificates can show how often a condition was recorded and how the pattern changed over time. They cannot, by themselves, separate changes in underlying health from changes in screening, diagnosis, or reporting. The report documents the trend but does not name a cause.
Why the Number Matters
High blood pressure during pregnancy is not merely an abnormal reading. Hypertensive disorders are among the leading causes of maternal illness and death in the United States. They are associated with complications including placental abruption and organ damage for the mother, as well as preterm birth, low birth weight, and stillbirth. The new report therefore describes a growing clinical burden, not just a change in paperwork.
Better detection may account for part of the increase. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists called for earlier identification and improved management of pregnancy-related high blood pressure in 2018. In 2023, the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force recommended blood-pressure measurements at every prenatal visit. More consistent screening can identify cases that might previously have gone unrecorded. At the same time, clinicians interviewed in independent coverage said they are seeing the increase broadly in practice, and the birth-certificate system may still miss some diagnoses.
Common risk factors remain relevant. Higher pre-pregnancy body mass index, older maternal age, and carrying multiple fetuses were associated with higher rates. Yet the fact that rates increased in every group means those factors do not provide a complete answer. Claims that any single exposure or lifestyle change caused the 73% rise go beyond what the federal data can support.
What Readers Should Take From the Report
For patients, the useful message is not to calculate personal risk from a national average. It is to recognize why routine blood-pressure checks before, during, and after pregnancy deserve attention. A population rate cannot diagnose an individual, and one elevated reading does not explain its own cause. Medical history, timing in pregnancy, repeated measurements, symptoms, and laboratory findings all affect clinical decisions.
For health systems, the trend raises questions about whether prenatal and postpartum care can respond consistently as the number of affected patients grows. Screening is only the first step. Patients need timely review of abnormal readings, clear explanations of warning signs, appropriate treatment, and follow-up after delivery. The national data also show why access and continuity matter: the highest rates fall on some populations that already experience serious maternal-health disparities.
The report offers a strong signal and a deliberately limited conclusion. Gestational hypertension recorded on U.S. birth certificates rose sharply between 2016 and 2024, across places and groups that differ in many ways. Researchers still need to determine how much of that change reflects health, detection, reporting, or a combination of factors. Until then, the responsible response is neither panic nor speculation. It is careful measurement, clinical follow-through, and better evidence about what is driving the rise.
Sources
- CDC National Center for Health Statistics (2026-07-29): Provides the original report, publication date, scope, data source, and definition of the 2016-2024 gestational hypertension trend analysis.
- TechTimes (2026-07-30): Reports the 6.0% and 10.4% rates, subgroup and state patterns, clinical risks, screening context, and the report's limits on explaining causation.
