Gitnux/Report 2026

Emergency Room Visits Statistics

In 2021, the US logged about 139.8 million emergency department visits, and injury remains the dominant reason, with falls, motor vehicle crashes, and poisonings nearly colliding in scale. The bill shock is just as real as the injury totals, since uninsured ER patients average $1,800 more, while 15% of visits end in hospital admission, revealing how quickly a routine ER stop can turn into a life changing one.
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July 8, 2026Updated
Emergency Room Visits Statistics
Lukas BauerWritten by Lukas Bauer·Edited by Rajesh Patel·Fact-checked by Olivia Thornton
Published ·Updated
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In 2021, U.S. emergency departments recorded about 139.8 million visits, yet the most common reasons are strikingly specific, from injury and falls to poisonings and traumatic brain injuries. The bill shock is just as big, with the average ER visit costing $2,600 in 2021 and uninsured patients paying about $1,800 more on average. Understanding who shows up and why also means looking at patterns like adults 65+ making up 24% of visits despite being 16% of the population, plus how COVID-19 pushed pediatric cases to peaks of 62,000 weekly.

Key Takeaways

  • Injury is leading cause of ER visits for ages 1-44
  • Falls account for 3 million ER visits annually
  • Motor vehicle crashes cause 2.7 million ER visits yearly
  • Pediatric ER visits for COVID-19 peaked at 62,000 weekly
  • Average ER visit cost $2,600 in 2021
  • Uninsured ER bills average $1,800 higher
  • Children under 18 make up 25% of ER visits
  • Adults 65+ account for 24% of ER visits despite being 16% of population
  • Females represent 55% of ER visits
  • Pediatric asthma ER visits 1.1 million yearly
  • Traumatic brain injuries 2.8 million ER visits per year
  • Fractures from falls 1 million ER visits in elderly
  • In 2021, U.S. emergency departments had about 139.8 million visits
  • Emergency department visits declined by 19% from 2019 to 2020 due to COVID-19
  • From 1997 to 2017, annual ER visits increased by 42% to 144 million

In the US 139.8 million ER visits cost about $2,600 each in 2021, driven largely by injuries, falls, and overdoses.

Related reading

01 · Category

Common Causes23 stats

01
Injury is leading cause of ER visits for ages 1-44
02
Falls account for 3 million ER visits annually
03
Motor vehicle crashes cause 2.7 million ER visits yearly
04
Poisonings/overdoses lead to 2.6 million ER visits
05
Sprains/strains are 30% of injury ER visits
06
Abdominal pain is top non-injury complaint at 7%
07
Chest pain accounts for 5.4% of ER visits
08
Respiratory conditions cause 12% of pediatric ER visits
09
Assaults result in 1.9 million ER visits annually
10
Heat-related illnesses up 20% in ERs recently
11
Fever is primary diagnosis for 5% of ER visits
12
Contusions/abrasions 8.5 million ER visits yearly
13
Syncope/dizziness 2 million ER visits
14
Headaches account for 2.1% of ER visits
15
Alcohol-related ER visits 5 million annually
16
Animal bites 800,000 ER visits per year
17
Superficial injuries 4.5 million ER visits
18
Urinary tract infections 2 million ER visits for women
19
Allergic reactions 500,000 ER visits yearly
20
Open wounds 2.2 million ER visits
21
Mental health crises 6 million ER visits in 2021
22
Stroke symptoms lead to 1.5 million ER visits
23
Back pain 2.8 million ER visits annually
Interpretation

Common Causes Interpretation

For the Common Causes category, injury-related ER visits dominate, with falls at 3 million and motor vehicle crashes at 2.7 million each year, and sprains or strains making up 30% of injury cases.

02 · Category

Costs And Outcomes20 stats

01
Pediatric ER visits for COVID-19 peaked at 62,000 weekly
02
Average ER visit cost $2,600in 2021
03
Uninsured ER bills average $1,800higher
04
15% of ER patients admitted to hospital
05
Sepsis ER visits cost $25 billion annually
06
5.7% mortality rate for ER cardiac arrests
07
Average length of stay in ER 4 hours
08
Observation stays in ER cost $3,000average
09
29% of ER visits result in discharge home
10
Stroke ER treatment success 80% within 3 hours
11
ER overdose reversal with naloxone in 70% cases
12
20% of ER visits readmitted within 30 days
13
Mental health ER holds average 11 hours
14
Pediatric appendicitis surgery post-ER 95% success
15
ER imaging tests up 50% since 2000, costing $10B
16
Left without being seen rate 2-5%
17
Ambulance transport to ER 30% of visits, cost $500 avg
18
ER costs rose 176% from 1996-2016
19
75% of ER sepsis patients survive with treatment
20
Fracture ER visits lead to 10% admission rate
Interpretation

Costs And Outcomes Interpretation

From the Costs And Outcomes perspective, ER care costs are high and outcomes are mixed, with average visits at $2,600 in 2021 and cardiac arrest mortality reaching 5.7%, while uninsured patients face bills about $1,800 higher.

03 · Category

Demographics26 stats

01
Children under 18 make up 25% of ER visits
02
Adults 65+ account for 24% of ER visits despite being 16% of population
03
Females represent 55% of ER visits
04
Non-Hispanic whites comprise 60% of ER visits
05
Hispanic ER visit rate is 1.5 times higher than whites
06
Males aged 15-24 have highest injury-related ER rate at 2,500/10,000
07
ER visits for ages 0-4 are 350/1,000 population
08
Seniors 75+ have 600 ER visits per 1,000
09
Black patients have 30% higher ER utilization rate
10
Rural residents visit ERs 20% more frequently per capita
11
Uninsured patients are 2x more likely to use ER for primary care
12
Medicaid enrollees account for 25% of ER visits
13
ER visits peak for ages 18-44 at 40% of total
14
Asian Americans have lowest ER visit rate at 300/1,000
15
Pregnant women account for 2% of ER visits
16
Veterans use ERs at 1.2x civilian rate
17
Low-income (<$25k) have 50% higher ER visits
18
ER visits for males increase with age after 65
19
Native Americans have ER visit rate 1.8x national average
20
College students (18-24) represent 10% of ER visits
21
Homeless individuals visit ERs 5x more often
22
ER visits for 45-64 age group stable at 28%
23
Females under 18 have higher respiratory ER visits
24
Urban blacks have 40% of ER visits in some cities
25
ER visits for 25-44 females up 10% post-COVID
26
Males 65+ have highest fall-related ER visits
Interpretation

Demographics Interpretation

From a demographics perspective, the ER burden is disproportionately high for older adults and certain groups, with people aged 65 plus making up 24% of visits while representing only 16% of the population and females accounting for 55% of all ER visits.

More related reading

04 · Category

Injury Types20 stats

01
Pediatric asthma ER visits 1.1 million yearly
02
Traumatic brain injuries 2.8 million ER visits per year
03
Fractures from falls 1 million ER visits in elderly
04
Gunshot wounds 80,000 ER visits annually
05
Sports injuries 3 million ER visits yearly
06
Burn injuries 1.1 million ER visits
07
Concussions 3.8 million sports-related ER visits
08
Hip fractures 300,000 ER visits in seniors
09
Drowning-related injuries 5,000 ER visits yearly
10
Electrical injuries 400 ER visits per year for kids
11
Ankle sprains 2 million ER visits annually
12
Shoulder dislocations 200,000 ER visits
13
Lacerations from glass 1 million ER visits
14
Crush injuries 150,000 ER visits yearly
15
Frostbite ER visits average 1,000 per winter
16
Dog bites 4.5 million incidents, 800,000 ER
17
Wrist fractures 600,000 ER visits
18
Knee injuries 1.2 million ER visits from sports
19
Foreign body ingestions 100,000 pediatric ER visits
20
Scalds/burns 120,000 child ER visits yearly
Interpretation

Injury Types Interpretation

Among injury types, traumatic brain injuries lead with 2.8 million ER visits per year, highlighting how head trauma is a major driver of emergency demand beyond other injuries like sports injuries at 3 million and fractures from falls at 1 million in the elderly.
report visual · Key figures

Emergency room visits: COVID-era dip and rebound

ER visit volumes dropped in 2019–2020 during COVID-19 and later rebounded toward pre-pandemic levels.

19%
Emergency department visits declined by 19% from 2019 to 2020 due to COVID-19
2019
In 2019, there were 145 million ER visits in the U.S.
51%
Pediatric ER visits dropped 51% during early COVID-19 lockdowns
2022
In 2022, ER visits rebounded to near pre-pandemic levels at 137 million
Reference

Cite This Report

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APA
Lukas Bauer. (2026, February 13). Emergency Room Visits Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/emergency-room-visits-statistics
MLA
Lukas Bauer. "Emergency Room Visits Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/emergency-room-visits-statistics.
Chicago
Lukas Bauer. 2026. "Emergency Room Visits Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/emergency-room-visits-statistics.

Sources & references

22 datasets cited across this report

cdc.govhealthsystemtracker.orghcup-us.ahrq.govkff.orgpublications.aap.orgjamanetwork.comaha.orgruralhealth.ushealthaffairs.orgacep.orgncbi.nlm.nih.govsamhsa.govurban.orgcensus.govnejm.orgweForum.orgacog.orgva.govihs.govnhtsa.govneiss.cpsc.govfairhealth.org