Key points
- The graphic counts 843,025 C-sections and 727,574 natural births (spontaneous and assisted) in Mexico in 2023. Together that is 1,570,599 births, of which C-sections are 53.7%.
- C-sections cluster in the morning: 8.92% of them took place in the 09:00 hour, against 1.24% in the 05:00 hour.
- The five hours from 08:00 to 12:00 hold 36.1% of all C-sections but 23.6% of natural births.
- Natural births are spread almost evenly across the day, from 3.67% (20:00) to 4.85% (09:00) per hour. A perfectly even spread would be about 4.17% per hour.
The totals and shares are calculated from the two figures in the graphic’s legend and its hourly labels.
Mexico births by hour, the graphic in text
Title: Birth Times for C-sections and Natural Births in Mexico, 2023. Chart: a 24 hour radial chart with midnight at the top, plotting the number of births each hour on rings from 0 to 70k. Caption: Local Time (Percentage of Total Births in Each Category). Legend: C-section (843,025) in yellow; Natural Births (Spontaneous and Assisted) (727,574) in cyan. Source: SSA (2024). Credit: @lapanquecita.
Each percentage is the share of that category’s births falling in the hour. The graphic prints the hours in 24 hour form with a.m. or p.m. added, such as “13:00 p.m.”; they are given here in 24 hour form only.
| Hour | Share of C-sections | Share of natural births |
|---|---|---|
| 00:00 | 3.01% | 4.38% |
| 01:00 | 2.34% | 4.20% |
| 02:00 | 1.68% | 3.99% |
| 03:00 | 1.36% | 3.98% |
| 04:00 | 1.26% | 3.90% |
| 05:00 | 1.24% | 3.90% |
| 06:00 | 1.83% | 3.90% |
| 07:00 | 3.16% | 4.01% |
| 08:00 | 6.35% | 4.64% |
| 09:00 | 8.92% | 4.85% |
| 10:00 | 7.68% | 4.80% |
| 11:00 | 6.66% | 4.69% |
| 12:00 | 6.49% | 4.65% |
| 13:00 | 5.49% | 4.32% |
| 14:00 | 3.92% | 4.12% |
| 15:00 | 5.16% | 4.18% |
| 16:00 | 5.90% | 4.11% |
| 17:00 | 4.86% | 4.01% |
| 18:00 | 4.68% | 3.98% |
| 19:00 | 4.20% | 3.78% |
| 20:00 | 2.74% | 3.67% |
| 21:00 | 3.33% | 3.94% |
| 22:00 | 4.37% | 4.01% |
| 23:00 | 3.38% | 4.00% |
Reading the pattern
The yellow C-section shape bulges towards the late morning, and its largest point, at 09:00, is the only one beyond the 70k ring. There is a dip at 14:00 (3.92%) between the morning peak and a second rise at 16:00 (5.90%), then a fall to 2.74% at 20:00 and a smaller rise at 22:00 (4.37%). Overnight, from 02:00 to 06:00, fewer than 2% of C-sections fall in each hour.
The cyan natural births shape is close to a circle. Converting the shares back into numbers of births, natural births outnumber C-sections in every hour from 23:00 to 07:00 and at 20:00 and 21:00, while C-sections are more numerous from 08:00 to 19:00 and at 22:00. The graphic itself does not give reasons for the pattern.
C-sections in a global context
The World Health Organization reported in 2021 that caesarean sections account for more than 1 in 5 (21%) of all births worldwide, up from around 7% in 1990, and projected nearly a third (29%) by 2030 [1]. In Latin America and the Caribbean, rates were as high as 4 in 10 births (43%) [1]. The Mexico data on the graphic, with C-sections above half of the births counted, is above that regional average.
WHO says a caesarean can be an essential and lifesaving operation, for example in prolonged or obstructed labour, fetal distress or an abnormal presentation of the baby. Like any surgery it carries risks, including heavy bleeding or infection, slower recovery and a higher chance of complications in later pregnancies [1]. WHO does not recommend a single target rate and instead stresses each woman’s needs and her part in decisions about the birth [1].
Notes on this infographic
- Source abbreviation. SSA is Mexico’s Secretaría de Salud (Ministry of Health). The creator’s published data projects use SSA open data [2].
- Totals. The two legend totals cover births in these two categories only. We have not compared them with Mexico’s official total of registered births for 2023.
- Rounding. Each column of percentages adds up to 100.01%, a rounding effect.
- Time labels. Labels such as “13:00 p.m.” mix 24 hour and 12 hour styles; the meaning is clear.
Questions about C-sections
Has the C-section rate gone up?
Yes, worldwide. WHO’s 2021 research found the global rate rose from around 7% of births in 1990 to 21%, and it expected the rise to continue over the decade [1].
What country has the highest C-section rate?
WHO’s 2021 update does not rank single countries, but it names five where caesarean sections now outnumber vaginal births: the Dominican Republic, Brazil, Cyprus, Egypt and Turkey [1]. For Latin America and the Caribbean as a region, WHO gave a rate as high as 43% [1].
What time of day are most C-sections performed?
In Mexico in 2023, the busiest hour for C-sections was 09:00, with 8.92% of them, against 1.24% in the 05:00 hour. The five hours from 08:00 to 12:00 held 36.1% of all C-sections but 23.6% of natural births. Overnight, from 02:00 to 06:00, fewer than 2% of C-sections fell in each hour.
What percentage of births in Mexico are C-sections?
C-sections made up 53.7% of the 1,570,599 births counted on the graphic for Mexico in 2023, with 843,025 C-sections and 727,574 natural births. That is above the rate of as high as 43% that WHO gave for Latin America and the Caribbean [1]. The two totals cover these categories only and have not been compared with Mexico's official total of registered births.
Sources
- World Health Organization, Caesarean section rates continue to rise, amid growing inequalities in access (16 June 2021).
- Montse (lapanquecita), GitHub profile and data repositories (opened 30 October 2026).
Last reviewed 30 October 2026
