Are emergency C-sections more likely among certain ethnic groups? (12 September 2025)

Summary

C-sections are a common procedure in maternity care, but higher rates of emergency caesareans can be a sign of systemic issues. In this article the authors analyse a chart presenting Health Episode Statistic (HES) 2023/24 data to explore the intersection of ethnicity and socio-economic deprivation in shaping the likelihood of emergency C-sections in England.

They found that there were higher rates of emergency C-sections among women and people giving birth from Black and Asian ethnic groups than from the White group, regardless of deprivation quantile. This data adds to a growing body of evidence that maternal health outcomes in the UK are not equal.