Life expectancy reached 77.5 years in 2023, but preventable gaps persist across access and outcomes. In 2022, 36.8 million people under age 65 were uninsured, and preventable hospitalizations for outpatient-amenable conditions totaled 3,717.2 per 100,000. The same data show routine care remains uneven, with 87.1% of children 0 to 17 reporting a health care visit in the past year and 16.6% of adults reporting depression in 2022.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 87.1% of children aged 0–17 had a health care visit in the past year
- In 2022, maternal mortality rate in the United States was 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births
- In 2023, life expectancy at birth in the United States was 77.5 years
- 34.6% of adults aged 18–64 were current smokers in 2022 (age-standardized, self-reported)
- 8.8% of children aged 3–17 had attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in 2021–2022
- 16.6% of adults aged 18+ had depression in 2022
- Health spending accounted for 17.3% of U.S. GDP in 2023
- In 2023, there were about 914,000 registered nurses (RNs) employed in the United States (full-time equivalents not specified)
- In May 2023, physicians (all other specialties) had a median annual wage of $239,220
- In May 2023, nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners had a median annual wage of $124,680
- In 2023, 33% of health care organizations used AI for clinical decision support
- 36.8 million people were uninsured in 2022 — number of people without health insurance at some point during the year (under age 65)
- 27.2 million people had problems paying medical bills in 2022 — number reporting medical bill payment difficulties
- 7.2% of adults had asthma in 2022 — percent of adults with asthma
- 31.7% of U.S. adults reported sleeping less than 7 hours on average in 2022 — percent reporting insufficient sleep duration
In 2023, high spending and limited access persist alongside heavy smoking, depression, and clinician shortages.
Related reading
01 · Category
Utilization And Outcomes4 stats
01
In 2022, 87.1% of children aged 0–17 had a health care visit in the past year[1]
02
In 2022, maternal mortality rate in the United States was 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births[1]
03
In 2023, life expectancy at birth in the United States was 77.5 years[1]
04
In 2022, preventable hospitalizations for conditions amenable to outpatient care were 3,717.2 per 100,000 population[2]
Interpretation
Utilization And Outcomes Interpretation
From a utilization and outcomes perspective, the United States shows both broad care access and serious lingering gaps, with 87.1% of children having a health care visit in 2022 while maternal mortality still stands at 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births and preventable hospitalizations are 3,717.2 per 100,000 population.
02 · Category
Health Status3 stats
Interpretation
Health Status Interpretation
In the Health Status snapshot, mental health challenges stand out with 16.6% of adults reporting depression in 2022 and 8.8% of children ages 3 to 17 having ADHD in 2021 to 2022 alongside 34.6% of adults who were current smokers.
03 · Category
Spending And Cost1 stats
01
Health spending accounted for 17.3% of U.S. GDP in 2023[3]
Interpretation
Spending And Cost Interpretation
In 2023, American health spending reached 17.3% of U.S. GDP, underscoring how central spending and cost are to the nation’s overall economic burden.
04 · Category
Providers And Capacity7 stats
01
In 2023, there were about 914,000 registered nurses (RNs) employed in the United States (full-time equivalents not specified)[4]
02
In May 2023, physicians (all other specialties) had a median annual wage of $239,220[4]
03
In May 2023, nurse anesthetists, nurse midwives, and nurse practitioners had a median annual wage of $124,680[4]
04
In 2022, there were 11.4 million home health and personal care aides employed in the United States[4]
05
In 2022, the United States had 6,800 transplant centers[5]
06
In 2022, the United States had 4.9 intensive care units (ICU) beds per 1000 residents (country-level estimate)[6]
07
In 2023, there were 2.0 physicians per 1000 population in the United States[6]
Interpretation
Providers And Capacity Interpretation
The United States has substantial provider and facility capacity, with 914,000 registered nurses and 6,800 transplant centers, yet the system still shows capacity constraints at the ICU level at just 4.9 beds per 1,000 residents.
More related reading
05 · Category
Technology And Risk1 stats
01
In 2023, 33% of health care organizations used AI for clinical decision support[7]
Interpretation
Technology And Risk Interpretation
In 2023, 33% of American health care organizations used AI for clinical decision support, showing that technology is rapidly embedding into care while raising the need to manage the associated risks.
06 · Category
Access And Coverage2 stats
Interpretation
Access And Coverage Interpretation
In 2022, 36.8 million Americans under 65 were uninsured and 27.2 million struggled to pay medical bills, underscoring that access and coverage gaps still leave millions both without insurance and with serious financial barriers to care.
07 · Category
Clinical Outcomes7 stats
01
7.2% of adults had asthma in 2022 — percent of adults with asthma[1]
02
31.7% of U.S. adults reported sleeping less than 7 hours on average in 2022 — percent reporting insufficient sleep duration[1]
03
6.6% of U.S. adults had moderate to severe depressive symptoms in 2022 — percent meeting threshold on standardized depression measures[9]
04
2.2% of adults (about 5.3 million) reported needing to have prescription medicines but couldn’t fill them due to cost in 2022 — percent and implied count for prescription affordability gaps[1]
05
1.2% of adults reported using tobacco products in 2022 among those who use only cigars/cigarillos/pipe? — percent reporting tobacco product use (combustible) in 2022[1]
06
7.2% of U.S. adults reported using e-cigarettes in 2022 — percent who used e-cigarettes[1]
07
16.3% of adults aged 20+ had obesity in 2021–2022 — prevalence of obesity based on measured height/weight[1]
Interpretation
Clinical Outcomes Interpretation
Clinical outcomes are being strained by everyday health burdens, with 31.7% of U.S. adults reporting less than 7 hours of sleep in 2022 and 6.6% reporting moderate to severe depressive symptoms, alongside cost barriers affecting 2.2% of adults who could not fill needed prescriptions.
report visual · Key figures
American Health Statistics
Key health and system indicators highlight substantial gaps in care access, chronic conditions, and workforce capacity.
87.1%
In 2022, 87.1% of children aged 0–17 had a health care visit in the past year
34.6%
34.6% of adults aged 18–64 were current smokers in 2022 (age-standardized, self-reported)
2.2%
2.2% of adults (about 5.3 million) reported needing to have prescription medicines but couldn’t fill them due to cost in
36.8
36.8 million people were uninsured in 2022 — number of people without health insurance at some point during the year (un
914,000
In 2023, there were about 914,000 registered nurses (RNs) employed in the United States (full-time equivalents not speci
source-verifiedcdc.gov · census.gov · bls.gov2023
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Marcus Afolabi. (2026, February 13). American Health Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/american-health-statistics
MLA
Marcus Afolabi. "American Health Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/american-health-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Afolabi. 2026. "American Health Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/american-health-statistics.
Sources & references
9 sources cited across this report