Purpose
Learn about breastfeeding rates by state in 2021 using the table below. This data is collected from the National Immunization Survey-Child (NIS-Child) of U.S. households with children aged 19-35 months.
Rates
Rates of any and exclusive breastfeeding by state among children born in 2021 (percentage +/- half 95% confidence interval)1,2
| Any Breastfeeding | Exclusive Breastfeeding | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ever Breastfed | Breastfed at 6 Months | Breastfed at 12 Months | Exclusive Breastfeeding through 3 Months | Exclusive Breastfeeding through 6 Months | |||
| n | % ± half 95% CI | % ± half 95% CI | % ± half 95% CI | n | % ± half 95% CI | % ± half 95% CI | |
| U.S. | 22,912 | 84.1±.90 | 59.8±1.1 | 39.5±1.1 | 22,294 | 46.5±1.2 | 27.2±1.0 |
| Alabama | 313 | 68.0±6.7 | 48.4±6.7 | 29.4±5.7 | 307 | 40.8±6.4 | 28.1±5.7 |
| Alaska | 322 | 92.3±3.9 | 73.0±6.1 | 50.5±6.9 | 313 | 60.7±6.8 | 42.6±7.0 |
| Arizona | 346 | 84.5±4.5 | 57.8±6.0 | 38.5±5.9 | 341 | 45.9±6.0 | 26.0±5.2 |
| Arkansas | 373 | 81.2±5.3 | 48.6±6.8 | 30.8±6.1 | 366 | 47.1±6.8 | 23.8±5.8 |
| California | 604 | 88.9±3.7 | 67.8±5.0 | 48.3±5.2 | 586 | 51.2±5.4 | 29.5±4.8 |
| Colorado | 395 | 89.0±3.7 | 69.7±5.2 | 44.8±5.4 | 390 | 55.8±5.5 | 34.0±5.2 |
| Connecticut | 317 | 87.4±5.4 | 59.9±7.2 | 36.1±6.7 | 308 | 36.5±6.8 | 22.5±5.7 |
| Delaware | 237 | 84.9±5.4 | 59.7±7.2 | 31.8±6.5 | 229 | 45.7±7.2 | 22.2±5.9 |
| District of Columbia | 428 | 83.4±5.6 | 60.7±6.4 | 38.5±5.8 | 417 | 41.5±6.1 | 20.7±4.9 |
| Florida | 590 | 80.6±4.8 | 53.3±5.6 | 34.3±5.1 | 572 | 39.5±5.4 | 22.0±4.5 |
| Georgia | 493 | 87.8±4.2 | 59.2±6.2 | 40.9±6.0 | 480 | 46.5±6.3 | 28.9±5.8 |
| Hawaii | 324 | 93.2±2.9 | 71.9±5.4 | 54.1±5.9 | 312 | 47.4±6.1 | 27.4±5.4 |
| Idaho | 329 | 86.0±5.2 | 59.1±7.0 | 37.4±6.9 | 318 | 47.7±7.2 | 25.2±6.5 |
| Illinois | 816 | 85.2±3.1 | 60.7±4.0 | 36.8±3.8 | 787 | 46.3±4.1 | 27.0±3.5 |
| Indiana | 277 | 79.5±5.8 | 52.0±6.8 | 37.2±6.5 | 267 | 46.5±6.8 | 28.1±6.0 |
| Iowa | 351 | 82.9±5.6 | 62.2±7.0 | 39.2±7.1 | 342 | 48.8±7.3 | 28.7±6.8 |
| Kansas | 452 | 86.4±4.4 | 64.9±5.6 | 43.9±5.7 | 437 | 57.5±5.8 | 36.1±5.7 |
| Kentucky | 408 | 75.4±5.4 | 49.0±6.0 | 34.2±5.6 | 397 | 41.9±5.9 | 21.3±4.7 |
| Louisiana | 633 | 73.3±5.2 | 46.9±5.5 | 29.4±5.0 | 617 | 41.0±5.5 | 22.3±4.7 |
| Maine | 262 | 88.2±4.6 | 63.7±6.6 | 44.7±6.5 | 254 | 50.4±6.7 | 27.5±5.7 |
| Maryland | 708 | 89.8±3.3 | 69.5±4.6 | 47.1±4.7 | 679 | 48.2±4.8 | 28.4±4.3 |
| Massachusetts | 338 | 88.7±4.0 | 63.0±6.4 | 42.4±6.3 | 334 | 48.3±6.5 | 26.4±5.7 |
| Michigan | 596 | 85.3±4.1 | 59.6±5.3 | 39.4±5.1 | 576 | 46.7±5.4 | 27.2±4.7 |
| Minnesota | 356 | 87.8±3.8 | 70.0±5.3 | 50.3±5.8 | 345 | 54.6±5.8 | 38.2±5.8 |
| Mississippi | 426 | 73.4±6.5 | 43.6±6.8 | 23.6±5.5 | 421 | 38.4±6.7 | 21.7±5.7 |
| Missouri | 486 | 80.7±4.6 | 54.6±5.5 | 38.3±5.2 | 478 | 47.1±5.5 | 28.9±5.0 |
| Montana | 254 | 87.7±4.9 | 68.3±6.4 | 43.5±6.7 | 243 | 55.6±6.9 | 34.0±6.5 |
| Nebraska | 300 | 84.3±6.3 | 60.8±7.4 | 38.6±7.0 | 297 | 51.4±7.5 | 31.5±6.7 |
| Nevada | 449 | 79.3±5.2 | 47.1±6.0 | 30.0±5.4 | 443 | 37.6±5.8 | 26.1±5.4 |
| New Hampshire | 238 | 87.9±4.9 | 67.1±6.6 | 44.3±6.9 | 232 | 52.6±7.0 | 26.3±6.1 |
| New Jersey | 405 | 81.6±4.9 | 60.2±5.8 | 40.1±5.6 | 388 | 40.8±5.9 | 24.6±5.3 |
| New Mexico | 474 | 78.6±5.2 | 55.8±5.8 | 36.5±5.5 | 468 | 49.3±5.9 | 27.7±5.4 |
| New York | 869 | 85.7±3.1 | 64.2±4.0 | 41.0±4.0 | 837 | 45.3±4.1 | 28.4±3.8 |
| North Carolina | 611 | 83.5±4.5 | 60.3±5.4 | 38.4±5.2 | 597 | 47.9±5.5 | 28.3±5.0 |
| North Dakota | 343 | 83.5±5.5 | 61.0±7.1 | 41.8±7.1 | 337 | 53.6±7.0 | 31.4±6.5 |
| Ohio | 561 | 82.7±4.1 | 60.7±5.0 | 40.8±4.8 | 549 | 48.0±5.0 | 27.9±4.5 |
| Oklahoma | 344 | 78.0±5.4 | 46.7±6.2 | 27.0±5.3 | 331 | 36.6±6.1 | 20.0±4.9 |
| Oregon | 257 | 93.7±3.2 | 72.5±6.2 | 51.7±6.9 | 251 | 59.1±6.8 | 32.3±6.5 |
| Pennsylvania | 961 | 83.0±3.9 | 58.5±4.8 | 37.0±4.5 | 931 | 45.0±4.9 | 24.7±4.1 |
| Rhode Island | 417 | 81.0±4.5 | 58.0±5.5 | 39.2±5.4 | 405 | 41.4±5.4 | 19.1±4.2 |
| South Carolina | 398 | 80.7±4.9 | 56.0±5.7 | 34.2±5.2 | 395 | 39.0±5.5 | 26.1±4.9 |
| South Dakota | 361 | 88.6±4.7 | 69.6±7.1 | 48.0±7.5 | 350 | 54.8±7.6 | 33.7±7.1 |
| Tennessee | 455 | 77.7±5.5 | 51.3±5.9 | 33.6±5.4 | 441 | 40.0±5.9 | 25.5±5.1 |
| Texas | 1,074 | 82.9±4.6 | 54.0±5.8 | 33.3±5.2 | 1,041 | 46.2±5.8 | 23.1±4.6 |
| Utah | 375 | 91.1±3.5 | 67.3±5.6 | 40.9±5.6 | 368 | 51.1±5.8 | 26.8±5.1 |
| Vermont | 300 | 92.9±4.1 | 74.4±7.7 | 56.5±7.9 | 289 | 57.8±8.1 | 38.1±7.4 |
| Virginia | 655 | 84.1±3.9 | 60.2±5.0 | 42.3±4.8 | 639 | 42.7±4.9 | 28.4±4.3 |
| Washington | 507 | 91.2±3.2 | 73.0±4.9 | 52.1±5.4 | 494 | 56.6±5.4 | 36.5±5.3 |
| West Virginia | 357 | 68.7±5.6 | 38.4±5.6 | 24.1±4.6 | 347 | 37.0±5.7 | 17.5±4.3 |
| Wisconsin | 415 | 83.3±4.8 | 62.6±5.9 | 42.6±6.0 | 406 | 50.1±6.2 | 30.6±5.6 |
| Wyoming | 352 | 89.3±4.5 | 64.7±6.7 | 39.9±6.8 | 342 | 56.9±7.0 | 27.7±6.4 |
| Guam | 134 | 81.6±9.5 | 58.6±10.9 | 46.1±10.6 | 131 | 44.7±10.7 | 25.7±8.8 |
| Puerto Rico | 750 | 87.0±3.8 | 56.4±5.0 | 36.9±4.8 | 747 | 49.4±5.0 | 34.1±4.8 |
1Data from U.S. territories are excluded from national breastfeeding estimates to align with analytical methods used to establish Healthy People 2030 targets on breastfeeding.
2Exclusive breastfeeding is defined as ONLY breast milk – no solids, no water, and no other liquids.
Source: National Immunization Survey-Child, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Health and Human Services