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 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