NC’s infant mortality rate and drug overdose deaths declined in 2024

By: Lynn Bonner

Outlets: North Carolina Newsline

Published: April 27, 2026

Words: 448

Last Updated: 3 months ago

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North Carolina’s infant mortality rate dropped in 2024 to what state health officials say is a historic low.

The infant death rate dropped from 6.9 deaths per 1,000 births in 2023 to 6.3 deaths per 1,000 births in 2024, an 8.7% decline. However, the overall improvement did not do much to narrow the gulf between Black and white infant death rates.

Additionally, deaths from drug overdoses declined more than 34% from 2023 to …

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