Postpartum depression is a treatable medical condition that affects roughly one in eight mothers in the United States. This page collects the current data — national and state-level prevalence, treatment gaps, costs and outcomes — with sources. For what postpartum depression is, how to recognize it and how it is treated, start with our guide to postpartum depression, or read the signs and symptoms.
If you are trying to work out whether this is happening to you, the PHQ-9 and GAD-7 are free, take three minutes and score themselves here — nothing is saved or sent anywhere.
Key Postpartum Depression Statistics
- 11.9% of mothers in the United States report symptoms of postpartum depression — about 1 in 8.
- Based on roughly 3.7 million annual births, that is more than 460,000 mothers a year.
- Rates vary more than twofold by state, from 7.2% in Louisiana to 17.1% in Mississippi.
- About half of postpartum depressive episodes begin before delivery, during pregnancy.
- 75% of people with maternal mental health conditions go untreated and undiagnosed.
- Suicide and overdose together account for nearly 1 in 4 maternal deaths.
- Untreated maternal mental health conditions cost an estimated $14.2 billion a year in the US.
- With treatment, up to 80% of people recover fully.
How Common Is Postpartum Depression?
The most recent national figure comes from the CDC’s Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System (PRAMS), which surveys mothers after a live birth. In the 2023 data, 11.9% of mothers reported symptoms of postpartum depression.
Mental health conditions overall are the most common complication of pregnancy and childbirth, affecting roughly 1 in 5 pregnant and postpartum people each year.
Prevalence During Pregnancy Versus After Birth
The DSM-5-TR gives separate estimates for the two halves of the peripartum period:
- About 9% of women experience a major depressive episode between conception and birth.
- The best estimate between birth and 12 months postpartum is just under 7%.
- About 50% of postpartum major depressive episodes begin prior to delivery — which is why clinicians describe these collectively as peripartum episodes.
That last figure is the one most often missed. Half of what is called postpartum depression is already underway before the baby arrives.
Postpartum Depression Rates by State
Where a mother gives birth is associated with more than a twofold difference in reported symptoms. The table below covers the 47 states and the District of Columbia with available 2023 PRAMS data. California, Idaho, North Carolina and Ohio did not have data available.
| Rank | State | Mothers reporting PPD symptoms |
| 1 | Mississippi | 17.1% |
| 2 | Kansas | 16.3% |
| 3 | Alaska | 15.9% |
| 4 | Alabama | 15.8% |
| 5 | Utah | 15.7% |
| 6 | North Dakota | 15.6% |
| 7 | Kentucky | 15.0% |
| 8 | Maryland | 14.1% |
| 9 | Oregon | 14.0% |
| 10 | Missouri | 13.9% |
| 11 | Arkansas | 13.8% |
| 12 | New Mexico | 13.7% |
| 13 | Indiana | 13.1% |
| 14 | Virginia | 13.1% |
| 15 | South Dakota | 13.0% |
| 16 | Wisconsin | 12.9% |
| 17 | Texas | 12.8% |
| 18 | West Virginia | 12.7% |
| 19 | Tennessee | 12.5% |
| 20 | Arizona | 12.2% |
| 21 | Illinois | 11.9% |
| 22 | Oklahoma | 11.9% |
| 23 | Rhode Island | 11.8% |
| 24 | Michigan | 11.6% |
| 25 | Nevada | 11.6% |
| 26 | Hawaii | 11.5% |
| 27 | New Hampshire | 11.5% |
| 28 | Wyoming | 11.4% |
| 29 | Montana | 11.3% |
| 30 | Nebraska | 11.3% |
| 31 | Maine | 11.2% |
| 32 | Georgia | 11.0% |
| 33 | New York | 11.0% |
| 34 | Florida | 10.9% |
| 35 | Pennsylvania | 10.7% |
| 36 | Delaware | 10.6% |
| 37 | District of Columbia | 10.6% |
| 38 | South Carolina | 10.5% |
| 39 | Iowa | 10.4% |
| 40 | Massachusetts | 10.4% |
| 41 | Minnesota | 10.2% |
| 42 | Washington | 9.5% |
| 43 | Colorado | 9.2% |
| 44 | Connecticut | 8.6% |
| 45 | Vermont | 8.4% |
| 46 | New Jersey | 8.3% |
| 47 | Louisiana | 7.2% |
Source: CDC PRAMS via HRSA Federally Available Data, 2023. National rate 11.9%.
Postpartum Depression by Race and Ethnicity
| Race / Ethnicity | Percent reporting PPD symptoms |
| American Indian / Alaska Native | 21.8% |
| Black, non-Hispanic | 16.3% |
| Multiple race, non-Hispanic | 15.4% |
| Hispanic | 13.8% |
| White, non-Hispanic | 11.7% |
| Asian / Pacific Islander, non-Hispanic | 8.0% |
Source: CDC PRAMS, 2022.
These differences are not caused by race. They track systemic inequities — reduced access to quality care, experiences of racism and implicit bias from providers, higher rates of traumatic birth, and the chronic stress that accompanies economic and social inequality.
The Treatment Gap
The most consequential statistic on this page is not how many people develop postpartum depression. It is how many never get treated for it.
- 75% of people with maternal mental health conditions are left untreated and undiagnosed.
- Roughly half of mothers with postpartum depression are never diagnosed by a health professional.
- With treatment, up to 80% recover fully.
The gap between an 80% recovery rate and a 75% untreated rate is the entire problem in two numbers.
Postpartum Depression and Maternal Mortality
- Suicide and overdose are the leading causes of death in the first year after birth.
- Together they account for nearly 1 in 4 maternal deaths in the United States — close to double the rate of postpartum hemorrhage, the second leading cause.
- State Maternal Mortality Review Committees have determined that 100% of mental health-related maternal deaths were preventable.
Rates of Related Perinatal Conditions
Postpartum depression is one of several conditions in the perinatal period, and the others are frequently mistaken for it.
| Condition | Estimated prevalence |
| Baby blues | Up to 80% of new mothers |
| Postpartum depression | About 11.9%, or 1 in 8 |
| Postpartum anxiety | Up to 17% |
| Postpartum OCD | About 3 to 5% |
| Postpartum PTSD | About 3 to 6% |
| Postpartum mood episode with psychotic features | 1 in 500 to 1 in 1,000 deliveries |
| Postpartum psychosis | 1 to 2 in every 1,000 births |
For context on how rare the most severe presentation is: the DSM-5-TR notes that infanticide is a rare occurrence, and that when it happens it is most often associated with postpartum psychotic episodes involving command hallucinations or delusions about the infant — not with postpartum depression.
Postpartum Depression in Fathers and Partners
- About 10% of new fathers experience depression during the postpartum period.
- Paternal postpartum depression is rarely screened for, and often presents as irritability, withdrawal or increased working hours rather than visible sadness.
- Risk rises substantially when the other parent is also experiencing postpartum depression.
Post-adoption depression is also documented, and does not require having given birth.
Risk Factor Statistics
- Having had postpartum depression after a previous birth raises the risk of recurrence by up to 50%.
- Depression or anxiety during pregnancy is among the strongest predictors of a postpartum episode.
- A history of depression unrelated to childbirth substantially increases risk.
- Traumatic or unplanned birth, limited practical support, and financial strain are each independently associated with higher rates.
International Postpartum Depression Rates
| Country | Reported rate | Source |
| United States | 11.9% (about 1 in 8) | CDC PRAMS, 2023 |
| Canada | About 1 in 6 experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder | Public Health Agency of Canada |
| United Kingdom | About 1 in 8 between pregnancy and the first year | NHS |
| Australia | Up to 1 in 5 experience a perinatal mood disorder | Australian Institute of Health and Welfare |
The Economic Cost
Untreated maternal mental health conditions are estimated to cost the United States $14.2 billion a year, counting lost productivity, increased medical spending, and downstream costs to child health and development.
How Long Postpartum Depression Lasts
- Untreated, episodes commonly last 3 to 6 months, and can persist considerably longer.
- Symptoms can begin during pregnancy or at any point in the first year after birth.
- With treatment, most people improve substantially, and up to 80% recover fully.
Where These Numbers Come From
- CDC PRAMS — the Pregnancy Risk Assessment Monitoring System, a population-based survey of mothers following a live birth, representative of about 78% of US births. Source of the national, state and race/ethnicity figures here.
- DSM-5-TR (American Psychiatric Association, 2022) — source of the peripartum onset figures, including that about half of postpartum episodes begin before delivery, and the prevalence of postpartum mood episodes with psychotic features.
- HRSA Federally Available Data — the route through which 2023 state-level PRAMS figures are published.
- State Maternal Mortality Review Committees — source of the preventability finding.
A note on comparing figures: state and race/ethnicity data come from different PRAMS years (2023 and 2022 respectively), and prevalence estimates differ depending on whether they measure self-reported symptoms or a clinical diagnosis. Self-reported symptom rates are generally higher than diagnosed rates — which is consistent with the treatment gap above, not a contradiction of it.
If You Recognize Yourself in These Numbers
Statistics describe populations. They do not tell you what is happening to you, and a rate on a page is no substitute for someone asking how you actually are.
- Take a screening questionnaire and bring the result to an appointment.
- Read about postpartum depression symptoms and treatment.
- Find a therapist who treats postpartum depression.
If you are in crisis, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or call the National Maternal Mental Health Hotline at 1-833-852-6262. Both are free and available 24 hours a day.
