Gestational diabetes is becoming more common in the United States – and not just slightly. A major new analysis from Northwestern Medicine shows that rates of gestational diabetes rose every year from 2016 to 2024, marking nearly a decade of uninterrupted growth.
The study looked at more than 12 million U.S. births and found that gestational diabetes increased 36 percent in nine years, rising from 58 cases per 1,000 births in 2016 to nearly 80 per 1,000 births in 2024.
This steady increase is alarming because gestational diabetes affects both pregnancy outcomes and long-term health for parents and children.
The researchers analyzed national birth certificate data from the National Center for Health Statisticsfocusing on singleton pregnancies for the first time. Their findings confirm what earlier research had already suggested: gestational diabetes has been on the rise for more than a decade, and current prevention efforts are falling short.
“Gestational diabetes has been steadily increasing for more than 10 years, which means that everything we’ve tried to do to treat diabetes in pregnancy has not worked,” said senior author Dr. Nilay Shah.
Gestational diabetes is a form of glucose intolerance first diagnosed during pregnancy. Although it often resolves after birth, it increases the risk of complications such as high birth weight, premature birth, and the need for medical interventions during labor. It also increases the chance that both parent and child will develop type 2 diabetes or heart disease later in life.
One of the most striking findings is that rates of gestational diabetes increased in every racial and ethnic group studied—but some groups consistently had much higher rates than others.
In 2024, the number of women diagnosed with gestational diabetes per 1,000 births was:
- 137 — American Indian or Alaska Native
- 131 — Asian
- 126 — Native Hawaiian or Pacific
- 85 — Hispanic
- 71 — White
- 67 — Black
“These populations tend to be less well represented in health research,” Shah noted, “so we actually understand very little about why these groups have such high rates.”
The study also took a closer look at the broad categories that are often grouped together in research. Among Asian and Hispanic populations, rates varied widely by country of origin, highlighting the importance of more detailed and inclusive data. For example, gestational diabetes increased significantly among Asian Indian, Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese women, as well as among Mexican, Puerto Rican, Cuban, and Central or South American women.
“These differences are often overlooked,” said first author Emily Lam. “But they matter when we’re trying to understand risk and provide appropriate care.”
Researchers point to broader health trends among young adults as a possible driving force.
“The health of young adults is steadily deteriorating — less healthy diets, less exercise, more obesity,” Shah said. “These trends probably underlie why rates of diabetes during pregnancy have increased.”
Importantly, the study does not suggest that gestational diabetes is the result of individual failure or poor choices. Pregnancy itself changes the way the body processes glucose, and many risk factors, including genetics, access to health care, food availability, work demands, and chronic stress, are beyond a person’s control.
The findings make one thing clear: current approaches are not enough.
“These data clearly show that we are not doing enough to support the health of the US population, particularly young women before and during pregnancy,” Shah said.
The researchers emphasize the need for public health and policy interventions that extend beyond pregnancy alone, including improved access to preventive care, nutritional support, and the necessary time and resources to maintain health before conception.
Gestational diabetes is common, treatable and manageable with the right care. But as rates continue to rise year on year, the study highlights the urgent need to rethink how the health system supports people long before they ever see a positive pregnancy test.
The study, titled “Gestational Diabetes in the US From 2016 to 2024,” will be published Dec. 29 in JAMA Internal Medicine.
