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The State of the Dream 2004: Enduring Disparities in Black and White

Health

"The rate of infant mortality (widely accepted as an accurate index of general health) among Negroes is double that of whites. . . Depressed living standards are not simply the consequence of neglect. . . They are a structural part of the economic system in the United States."

--Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Where Do We Go From Here?, 1967

Infant Mortality

• Infant mortality has dropped across the board since 1970, but Black infants are now almost two and a half times as likely as white infants to die before reaching one year of age. That gap is larger than it was in 1970, when Black infants were less than twice as likely to die as white infants.

• In 1970, the Black infant mortality rate was 32.6 deaths per 1,000 live births -- 83% higher than the white infant mortality rate of 17.8% per 1,000.

• In 2001, the Black infant mortality rate was 14.0 deaths per 1,000 live births -- 146% higher than the white infant mortality rate of 5.7 deaths per 1,000 live births.

[image:] Graph with the following text:
Infant Mortality Rate, 1970 and 2001
(Deaths per 1,000 live births)
1970 White 17.8
1970 Black 32.6
2001 White 5.7
2001 Black 14.0
The Black-White Gap in Infant Mortality is increasing.

Source: National Center for Health Statistics, National Vital Statistics Reports, Sept. 18, 2003. Table 31. See Appendix for Years to Parity calculation.

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12 United for a Fair Economy • Racial Wealth Divide Project