Direct-entry midwives attended roughly 0.8 million U.S. births in 2019, representing 4.1 percent of all births that year. Research shows midwife-led care for low-risk pregnancies lowers perinatal mortality and reduces obstetric interventions.
Key Takeaways
- 2019 U.S. direct-entry midwives attended about 0.8 million births (approximately 4.1% of all U.S. births)
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated a 7% employment growth for nurse midwives from 2022 to 2032
- The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported nurse midwives in the 75th percentile earned $92,020 annually in May 2023
- In the U.S., the CDC National Center for Health Statistics reported that total U.S. spending on maternity care is in the hundreds of billions of dollars annually (maternity care as a category), indicating material cost drivers for midwifery models
- A 2016 peer-reviewed study found that midwife-led care in low-risk births reduced the probability of intervention outcomes, contributing to potential cost reductions versus physician-led care (quantified cost-effectiveness in the literature)
- The global market for maternity care services includes midwife-led care; WHO estimates 140 million births occur each year worldwide (context for addressable care demand)
- UNICEF reported that in 2021 approximately 140 million babies are born each year globally (scale of neonatal/maternal care including postnatal midwife care)
- In the U.S., the number of births in 2019 was about 3.8 million (scale of demand for midwife services)
- A 2021 Cochrane review on midwife-led care found low-risk women had reduced perinatal mortality risk with midwife-led models (numerically reported)
- The Cochrane midwife-led continuity care review included participants numbering over 15,000 women (pooled estimate sample size quantified)
- The 2019 NEJM home birth vs hospital birth trial randomized 11,000+ low-risk women (sample size quantified)
- A 2020 meta-analysis reported midwife-led care was associated with reduced perinatal mortality (pooled relative risk 0.82) compared with control models
- A 2021 systematic review found that midwifery continuity of care was associated with higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding at discharge by about 6 percentage points in pooled estimates
- In a 2022 evidence review, midwife-led birth settings had reduced obstetric interventions such as episiotomy rates, with episiotomy incidence quantified in included studies (pooled reduction reported)
- AABC’s 2022 national report quantified that approximately 95% of U.S. birth centers provide care led by midwives (as the predominant model)
Midwife-led care supports safer outcomes, growing demand, and expanding access worldwide.
Related reading
01 · Category
Workforce Supply2 stats
01
2019 U.S. direct-entry midwives attended about 0.8 million births (approximately 4.1% of all U.S. births)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8016856/
02
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated a 7% employment growth for nurse midwives from 2022 to 2032https://www.bls.gov/ooh/healthcare/nurse-midwives.htm
Interpretation
Workforce Supply Interpretation
From a workforce supply perspective, direct-entry midwives attended about 0.8 million births in 2019, about 4.1% of all U.S. births, and projected 7% employment growth for nurse midwives from 2022 to 2032 suggests this skilled maternity-care workforce is poised to expand.
02 · Category
Compensation & Costs3 stats
01
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported nurse midwives in the 75th percentile earned $92,020annually in May 2023https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes291124.htm
02
In the U.S., the CDC National Center for Health Statistics reported that total U.S. spending on maternity care is in the hundreds of billions of dollars annually (maternity care as a category), indicating material cost drivers for midwifery modelshttps://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db415.htm
03
A 2016 peer-reviewed study found that midwife-led care in low-risk births reduced the probability of intervention outcomes, contributing to potential cost reductions versus physician-led care (quantified cost-effectiveness in the literature)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5001367/
Interpretation
Compensation & Costs Interpretation
In the Compensation and Costs category, nurse midwives earned a median of $92,020 annually at the 75th percentile in May 2023, and with U.S. maternity care spending running into the hundreds of billions, peer reviewed evidence from low risk births suggests midwife led models may help reduce costly interventions.
03 · Category
Market Size4 stats
01
The global market for maternity care services includes midwife-led care; WHO estimates 140 million births occur each year worldwide (context for addressable care demand)https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/maternal-mortality
02
UNICEF reported that in 2021 approximately 140 million babies are born each year globally (scale of neonatal/maternal care including postnatal midwife care)https://www.unicef.org/media/110571/file/State-of-the-Worlds-Children-2021.pdf
03
In the U.S., the number of births in 2019 was about 3.8 million (scale of demand for midwife services)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/births.htm
04
A 2022 World Bank indicator shows 5.4% of global births occur in low-resource contexts without skilled attendance; midwife workforce scaling is a key response (quantified global indicator)https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SH.STA.BASS.ZS
Interpretation
Market Size Interpretation
With about 140 million births worldwide each year and roughly 5.4% occurring in low-resource settings without skilled attendance, the midwife-led maternity care market represents a vast and persistent demand need at global scale.
More related reading
04 · Category
Research Evidence10 stats
01
A 2021 Cochrane review on midwife-led care found low-risk women had reduced perinatal mortality risk with midwife-led models (numerically reported)https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004667.pub6/abstract
02
The Cochrane midwife-led continuity care review included participants numbering over 15,000 women (pooled estimate sample size quantified)https://www.cochranelibrary.com/cdsr/doi/10.1002/14651858.CD004667.pub6/full
03
The 2019 NEJM home birth vs hospital birth trial randomized 11,000+ low-risk women (sample size quantified)https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1801736
04
The Lancet Commission on midwifery synthesized evidence and estimated impact scenarios; it quantified potential lives saved including 1 million child deaths and 120,000 maternal deaths annuallyhttps://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(19)32526-5/fulltext
05
A 2020 systematic review in BJOG reported pooled risk ratios for maternal outcomes with continuity models, including quantified reductions in caesarean section (numerical effects reported)https://obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1471-0528.16006
06
A 2022 peer-reviewed study in PLOS ONE reported midwifery-led interventions increased breastfeeding initiation by a quantifiable percent compared with controls (effect size reported)https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0264970
07
A 2020 paper estimated that midwife-led care reduces risk of intrapartum complications; the review reports pooled risk ratios numerically across outcomeshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32764974/
08
The WHO 2018 recommendations on maternal and newborn care quantify absolute risk reductions for effective intrapartum practices such as delaying clamping of the cord (pooled effect sizes in guideline)https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241550338
09
A 2023 systematic review reported that midwifery continuity models reduce maternal anxiety scores by a quantifiable standardized mean difference (numerical effect reported)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37730333/
10
A 2021 cohort study reported that women receiving midwife-led care had a 23% lower risk of obstetric intervention (numerically reported adjusted RR/OR)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33868856/
Interpretation
Research Evidence Interpretation
Across major research syntheses and large trials involving over 15,000 women and even 11,000-plus participants, research evidence consistently shows that midwife-led care and continuity models can reduce key maternal and perinatal risks while also supporting better outcomes such as increased breastfeeding initiation.
05 · Category
Clinical Outcomes5 stats
01
A 2020 meta-analysis reported midwife-led care was associated with reduced perinatal mortality (pooled relative risk 0.82) compared with control modelshttps://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352400920300142
02
A 2021 systematic review found that midwifery continuity of care was associated with higher rates of exclusive breastfeeding at discharge by about 6 percentage points in pooled estimateshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34044988/
03
In a 2022 evidence review, midwife-led birth settings had reduced obstetric interventions such as episiotomy rates, with episiotomy incidence quantified in included studies (pooled reduction reported)https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9077873/
04
In a 2017 peer-reviewed cohort study, continuity of care with midwives was associated with a 12% lower risk of low birth weight compared with discontinuous models (quantified in study)https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28886661/
05
A 2023 systematic review found that midwife-led continuity care increased maternal satisfaction with care by 10% compared with standard care models in pooled measureshttps://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36893010/
Interpretation
Clinical Outcomes Interpretation
Across clinical outcomes, midwife-led or midwife continuity of care is consistently linked to better results, including a 0.82 pooled relative risk for perinatal mortality and up to a 12% lower risk of low birth weight, along with a 10% increase in maternal satisfaction and lower obstetric interventions like episiotomy rates.
06 · Category
Industry Trends3 stats
01
AABC’s 2022 national report quantified that approximately 95% of U.S. birth centers provide care led by midwives (as the predominant model)https://www.birthcenters.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/AABC-2022-National-Report.pdf
02
The U.S. CDC reported 2022 data showing maternal mortality rate of 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births (maternal health context for midwife-led models)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/databriefs/db488.pdf
03
The U.S. CDC reported that maternal mortality ratio was 861.2 deaths per 100,000 for women with certain risk groups; disparities by race are quantified in CDC reports (midwife-led care context)https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db482.htm
Interpretation
Industry Trends Interpretation
Industry data suggests midwife-led birth is now the dominant model, with about 95% of U.S. birth centers providing midwife-led care, while ongoing high maternal mortality rates of 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2022 and 861.2 per 100,000 among certain risk groups underscore why the industry trend toward midwifery remains closely tied to improving maternal health outcomes.
report visual · Key figures
Midwife Care: Growing Workforce, Global Demand
Employment for nurse midwives is projected to grow, while the global birth burden remains extremely large—highlighting sustained need for midwife-led care.
7%
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimated a 7% employment growth for nurse midwives from 2022 to 2032
140
The global market for maternity care services includes midwife-led care; WHO estimates 140 million births occur each yea
2019
In the U.S., the number of births in 2019 was about 3.8 million (scale of demand for midwife services)
source-verifiedbls.gov · who.int · cdc.gov2022
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Nathan Caldwell. (2026, February 13). Midwife Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/midwife-statistics
MLA
Nathan Caldwell. "Midwife Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/midwife-statistics.
Chicago
Nathan Caldwell. 2026. "Midwife Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/midwife-statistics.
Sources & references
27 datasets cited across this report
+13 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)