About Breastfeeding Data

At a glance

Learn about guidelines, recommendations, and data related to breastfeeding. Also learn reasons why mothers stop breastfeeding and how to support them.
A mom sits in a chair and breastfeeds her infant

Overview

The U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2020-2025 recommend that mothers:

  • Exclusively breastfeed their infants for about the first 6 months.
  • Continue to breastfeed their infants while introducing appropriate complementary foods for 1 year or longer.

The American Academy of Pediatrics and the World Health Organization also recommend mothers:

  • Exclusively breastfeed their infants for about the first 6 months.
  • Continue to breastfeed their infants along with introducing appropriate complementary foods for up to 2 years of age or older.12

Most infants receive some breast milk. However, most mothers do not exclusively breastfeed their infants or continue to breastfeed them as long as recommended.

Healthy People 2030 breastfeeding objectives*

Increase the proportion of infants who are breastfed:
Exclusively through 6 months. • Baseline - 24.9%†
• Target - 42.4%*
At 1 year. • Baseline - 35.9%†
• Target - 54.1%*

*Healthy People 2030 Breastfeeding Objectives
†Baseline rates represent infants born in 2015, National Immunization Survey – Child.

Key breastfeeding indicators for infants born in 2021

Key breastfeeding indicators and current rates

Percentage of infants who are breastfed:
Ever.* 84.1%
At 6 months.* 59.8%
At 1 year.* 39.5%
Exclusively through 3 months.* 46.5%
Exclusively through 6 months.* 27.2%
Receive formula supplementation within the first 2 days of life.* 20.5%

*Current rates represent infants born in 2021, National Immunization Survey – Child 2022–2023.

Rates of breastfeeding vary across states and regions

  • Infants living in the Southeast United States are less likely to be breastfed at 6 months than infants living in other areas of the country (map below).3
  • Infants in rural areas are less likely to ever breastfeed than infants living in urban areas.3
  • For state-by-state breastfeeding rates, please visit the Breastfeeding Rates page. Historic data are also available in Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity online Data, Trends, and Maps database.

Percentage of infants breastfed at 6 months

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A map of the U.S. with states in various shades of blues and white to indicate percentage of infants breastfed at 6 months
The percentage of infants breastfed at 6 months varies depending on location.

See data table: Rates of Any and Exclusive Breastfeeding by State among Children Born in 2021.

Breastfeeding disparities exist

  • Fewer non-Hispanic Black infants (75.4%) are ever breastfed compared with Asian infants (92.7%), non-Hispanic White infants (86.2%) and Hispanic infants (83.4%).3
  • Infants eligible for and receiving the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) are less likely to ever be breastfed (75.4%) than infants eligible, but not receiving WIC (84.6%), and infants ineligible for WIC (92.4%).3
  • Younger mothers aged 20 to 29 years are less likely to ever breastfeed (80.0%) than mothers aged 30 years or older (86.1%).3

Why mothers stop breastfeeding early

Sixty percent of mothers do not breastfeed for as long as they intend.4 How long a mother breastfeeds her baby is influenced by many factors, including:

  • Issues with lactation and latching.4
  • Concerns about infant nutrition and weight.4
  • Mother's concern about taking medications while breastfeeding.4
  • Unsupportive work policies and lack of parental leave.5
  • Cultural norms and lack of family support.5
  • Unsupportive hospital practices and policies.6

What you can do to support breastfeeding

State and local organizations can support breastfeeding by implementing organizational policies, systems, and environmental solutions. To learn more, visit:

What is being done to improve rates

Breastfeeding is important for the health of mothers and babies. CDC supports continuity of care in breastfeeding support through hospital initiatives, work site accommodation, and community support initiatives.

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Content Source:
National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP)
  1. American Academy of Pediatrics. Section on Breastfeeding; Policy Statement: Breastfeeding and the Use of Human Milk. Pediatrics. 2022; 150 (1): e2022057988. 10.1542/peds.2022-057988.
  2. World Health Organization. WHO Breastfeeding website. Accessed October 3, 2024.
  3. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Immunization Survey-Child (NIS-Child) website. Accessed October 3, 2024.
  4. Odom EC, Li R, Scanlon KS, Perrine CG, Grummer-Strawn L. Reasons for earlier than desired cessation of breastfeeding. Pediatrics. 2013;131(3):e726–732.
  5. Sriraman NK, Kellams A. Breastfeeding: What are the barriers? Why women struggle to achieve their goals. J Womens Health (Larchmt). 2016;25(7):714–722.
  6. Feltner C, Weber RP, Stuebe A, Grodensky CA, Orr C, Viswanathan M. Breastfeeding Programs and Policies, Breastfeeding Uptake, and Maternal Health Outcomes in Developed Countries. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (US); July 2018.