Washington’s maternal mortality rates increase 2021 – 2022
This story appears in the January 2026 edition of The Washington Nurse.
The Washington State Department of Health released the latest results on maternal mortality in the state (PDF), and here is what they found. The rate of pregnancy-related deaths in 2021 and 2022 were the highest rates between 2014-2022. The report was issued by the 2025 Maternal Mortality Review Panel.
The state’s Maternal Mortality Review Panel reviews deaths of Washingtonians who died during pregnancy or up to one year after pregnancy. The panel identifies which deaths were pregnancy-related and preventable, then makes recommendations to save lives and improve care. As required every three years by RCW 70.54.450, the report presents the legislature with data from 2014–2022 deaths and recommendations from reviews of 2021–2022 deaths.
In 2021, there were 33.4 deaths per 100,000 live births, followed by 27.6 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2022. These are the highest rates of pregnancy-related death in the eight-year period ending in 2022.
Of the 107 maternal deaths reviewed for this report, 51 were determined to be pregnancy-related—meaning the cause of death was linked to pregnancy.
Accidental overdose was the leading underlying cause. Other leading causes included COVID-19 and cardiovascular conditions.
The panel found 82% of pregnancy-related deaths in 2021 and 2022 were preventable, meaning there was a chance the death could have been prevented if at least one factor had been different. These factors included care quality, financial barriers, limited healthcare access, and lack of continuity of care.
The report is dedicated to the memory of Washingtonians who died during or after pregnancy, and to all their families, loved ones, and communities.
“We share our deepest condolences for each loss. We acknowledge the depth of grief and pain caused by maternal mortality, which touches the lives of people statewide and impacts some communities disproportionately,” report authors write.
The panel made three priority recommendations:
1. Improve health care quality and access
Ensure Washingtonians have access to high-quality health care—including mental health care, substance use disorder treatment, and preventive care—throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum by strengthening and funding care coordination, improving communication and protocols, and ensuring providers have the skills, training, and professional support they need to provide high-quality care.
2. Strengthen community support services
Invest in, develop, and expand comprehensive community-support services that address essential needs during pregnancy and postpartum. These include strengthened home visiting programs, social work services, doula care, wraparound support for mental health and substance-use disorder, and housing and food assistance.
3. Provide equitable, culturally responsive care
Ensure care and services throughout pregnancy, birth, and postpartum are culturally responsive, free from bias, grounded in trauma-informed practices, and actively address racial injustice.
The authors wrote that recommendations in this report are particularly critical given pending Medicaid cuts and other challenges to the stability of maternal health and healthcare in the United States.
Note: Report authors said comparisons between Washington’s maternal mortality rate and the national rate should be done carefully and with clarification of differences in definitions. Washington state’s pregnancy-related maternal mortality rates have historically been lower than national rates. However, Washington’s rates slightly surpassed national rates in 2021 (33.2 per 100,000) and 2022 (21.5 per 100,000). Washington’s higher rates are due, in part, to different definitions used—the national rate excludes injury deaths, such as homicide, suicide, and accidental deaths, including overdoses.