A slight uptick in life expectancy offers a glimmer of hope, yet a closer look at the statistics reveals a nation still grappling with profound health crises, from heart disease and overdoses to stark mental health struggles and persistent inequities.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, the U.S. life expectancy at birth was 77.5 years, a slight increase from 76.4 years in 2021
- The age-adjusted death rate for heart disease in the U.S. in 2022 was 161.5 per 100,000 population
- Cancer caused 612,390 deaths in the U.S. in 2023, accounting for about 20% of all deaths
- In 2022, 42.4 million U.S. adults had diagnosed diabetes
- Obesity prevalence among adults was 41.9% (2017-2020)
- Hypertension affected 119.9 million U.S. adults in 2021
- 12.5% adults anxiety disorders lifetime
- Major depressive episode 21 million adults (8.3%) past year 2023
- 5.7% adults serious mental illness in 2023
- 2022 flu season 44 million illnesses estimated
- COVID-19 cumulative 1.18 million deaths as of 2024
- HIV diagnoses 36,547 in 2022
- 17.3% U.S. adults uninsured in 2023
- 8.6% children uninsured in 2023
- Medicaid covers 92.4 million in 2024
U.S. health shows a slight improvement, yet still faces significant disease and mortality challenges.
Chronic Diseases
- In 2022, 42.4 million U.S. adults had diagnosed diabetes
- Obesity prevalence among adults was 41.9% (2017-2020)
- Hypertension affected 119.9 million U.S. adults in 2021
- Arthritis prevalence 30.4% among adults over 18 in 2022
- COPD affected 16 million adults in U.S. in 2023
- Over 1.7 million new cancer cases diagnosed in U.S. in 2024
- Heart disease affects 6.7% of U.S. children aged 12-19
- Chronic kidney disease prevalence 14.1% among U.S. adults in 2021
- Asthma affected 24.5 million U.S. adults in 2022
- Osteoporosis in 12.6% of adults over 50 in U.S.
- Diagnosed HIV prevalence 1.2 million in 2021
- End-stage renal disease affected 808,000 in 2021
- Multiple sclerosis prevalence 1 million U.S. adults
- Epilepsy affects 3.4 million in U.S.
- Parkinson's prevalence 1 million over age 50
- Liver cirrhosis deaths 50,000+ annually
- Rheumatoid arthritis 1.5 million adults
- Gout affects 9.2 million U.S. adults
- Fibromyalgia 4 million U.S. adults
- 37.3 million Americans (11.3%) had diabetes in 2021
- 96 million prediabetic adults
- Severe obesity 9.4% adults (2017-2020)
- High cholesterol 86 million adults
- 28.7 million undiagnosed diabetics
- Psoriasis affects 7.5 million adults
- Crohn's disease 780,000 adults
- Ulcerative colitis 913,000 adults
- Endometriosis 11% reproductive-age women
Chronic Diseases Interpretation
The statistics paint a grim portrait of American health, where we are increasingly a nation managing a portfolio of chronic conditions, with our collective well-being looking less like a vibrant landscape and more like a meticulously over-booked medical chart.
Healthcare Access
- 17.3% U.S. adults uninsured in 2023
- 8.6% children uninsured in 2023
- Medicaid covers 92.4 million in 2024
- Medicare 65.7 million enrollees 2023
- ACA marketplace 21.3 million enrolled 2024
- Primary care physician shortage 83 million underserved
- Telehealth visits 1 billion+ in 2022
- Emergency department visits 139 million in 2021
- Hospital admissions 36.7 million in 2021
- Preventable hospital stays 2 million per year
- Dental care uninsured 28% skipped
- Prescription drug affordability issues 25% adults
- Rural hospital closures 144 since 2010
- Health insurance premiums average $7,739 family 2023
- Medical debt 41% adults under 65
- Cancer screening delays 10% due to cost
- VA health care 9.2 million veterans enrolled
- CHIP covers 9 million children
- Employer-sponsored insurance 155 million 2023
- Out-of-pocket spending $1,225 per capita 2022
- Nurse practitioner shortages in primary care
- 28 million Americans live in health professional shortage areas
- Mammogram rates 78% women 50-74
Healthcare Access Interpretation
It's an absurdly expensive patchwork where we've somehow built a system that can produce a billion telehealth visits and still leave millions to gamble on emergency rooms as primary care while navigating crippling debt and doctor shortages.
Infectious Diseases
- 2022 flu season 44 million illnesses estimated
- COVID-19 cumulative 1.18 million deaths as of 2024
- HIV diagnoses 36,547 in 2022
- Hepatitis C acute cases 2,864 in 2022
- Lyme disease 476,000 estimated cases yearly
- MRSA infections 119,000 bloodstream annually
- Norovirus causes 19-21 million cases yearly
- Pertussis (whooping cough) 7,552 cases in 2023
- Hepatitis A 13,236 cases in 2022
- Salmonella infections 1.35 million yearly
- HPV causes 36,000 cancers yearly
- Tuberculosis 8,916 cases in 2023
- Measles 59 cases in 2024 so far
- Mpox cases 30,000+ since 2022
- Clostridioides difficile 466,000 infections yearly
- Flu vaccination coverage 49.2% adults 2022-23
- Pneumococcal vaccination 68.5% adults 65+
- Shingles vaccination 34.5% adults 50-59
- HPV vaccination 62.8% adolescents series complete
- Hepatitis B vaccination 93.5% infants
- 2023-24 flu vaccines prevented 15 million illnesses
- Antibiotic resistance causes 2.8 million infections yearly
- E. coli infections 265,000 yearly
- Campylobacter 1.5 million cases yearly
Infectious Diseases Interpretation
While our impressive medical arsenal saves millions, the persistent parade of preventable pathogens – from flu to HPV-caused cancers – highlights that our greatest public health challenge remains bridging the gap between what we *can* do and what we *actually* do.
Life Expectancy & Mortality
- In 2023, the U.S. life expectancy at birth was 77.5 years, a slight increase from 76.4 years in 2021
- The age-adjusted death rate for heart disease in the U.S. in 2022 was 161.5 per 100,000 population
- Cancer caused 612,390 deaths in the U.S. in 2023, accounting for about 20% of all deaths
- The infant mortality rate in the U.S. in 2022 was 5.44 deaths per 1,000 live births
- Drug overdose deaths reached 107,941 in the U.S. in 2022, with opioids involved in 81.5%
- U.S. maternal mortality rate in 2022 was 22.3 deaths per 100,000 live births
- Suicide accounted for 49,369 deaths in the U.S. in 2022, rate of 14.7 per 100,000
- Firearm-related deaths totaled 48,830 in the U.S. in 2022, with 54% suicides
- Alzheimer's disease death rate was 35.0 per 100,000 in 2022
- COVID-19 deaths in 2023 numbered 75,661, down from 2022 peaks
- Stroke death rate was 40.3 per 100,000 in 2022
- Chronic lower respiratory diseases caused 147,382 deaths in 2022
- Unintentional injuries led to 227,039 deaths in 2022, rate 68.8 per 100,000
- Diabetes death rate was 21.7 per 100,000 in 2022
- Kidney disease mortality rate 14.6 per 100,000 in 2022
- Homicide rate was 7.7 per 100,000 in 2022, totaling 25,896 deaths
- Life expectancy for males was 74.8 years in 2023
- Life expectancy for females was 80.2 years in 2023
- All-cause age-adjusted mortality rate declined to 715.1 per 100,000 in 2023
- Black non-Hispanic life expectancy was 72.8 years in 2023
- Hispanic life expectancy reached 80.0 years in 2023
- White non-Hispanic life expectancy was 77.6 years in 2023
- Asian life expectancy was 83.5 years in 2023
- American Indian/Alaska Native life expectancy 71.5 years in 2023
- Provisional COVID-19 death rate fell to 18.2 per 100,000 in 2023
- Heart disease remains leading cause, 695,547 deaths in 2022
- Influenza/pneumonia deaths 53,544 in 2022
- Liver disease deaths 56,585 in 2022, rate 17.0 per 100,000
- Parkinson's disease rate 12.1 per 100,000 in 2022
Life Expectancy & Mortality Interpretation
America's health report card shows a nation making grudging progress on life expectancy while still flunking the practical exam, as it remains a country where hearts fail, cancers ravage, overdoses plague, and systemic disparities stubbornly persist, proving it's easier to add years to a lifespan than quality and equity to those years.
Mental Health
- 12.5% adults anxiety disorders lifetime
- Major depressive episode 21 million adults (8.3%) past year 2023
- 5.7% adults serious mental illness in 2023
- Suicide attempts 1.7 million adults past year
- PTSD lifetime prevalence 6% U.S. adults
- Bipolar disorder 2.8% adults lifetime
- Schizophrenia 1.1% adults
- OCD 1.2% adults past year
- 57.8 million adults serious mental illness past year 2021
- Youth mental health crisis: 37% girls serious feelings sadness/hopelessness
- ADHD 6 million children aged 3-17
- Autism spectrum 1 in 36 children
- Eating disorders 9% population lifetime
- 20.4 million adults alcohol use disorder lifetime
- Opioid use disorder 2.7 million past year
- Mental health treatment 22.4% adults received
- Telehealth mental health visits 40% increase post-COVID
- 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness yearly
- Children mental health: 1 in 6 aged 6-17
- Serious psychological distress 5.7% adults past month
- Depression past 2 weeks 8.5% adults
- Anxiety past 2 weeks 9.1% adults
- Homelessness 25% mental illness
- Suicide ideation 4.4 million adults past year
- Bipolar past year 0.6% adults
- 50.2% adults with mental illness no treatment
- COVID-19 mental health impact: anxiety/depression symptoms tripled
Mental Health Interpretation
If you gathered all the statistics on mental health in America into a single, grim cocktail, the recipe would be: take one part pervasive, untreated suffering, add a heaping measure of systemic failure to meet the need, and stir vigorously with a crisis that we continue to diagnose far more effectively than we treat.
Sources & References
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- Reference 2CANCERcancer.orgVisit source
- Reference 3NATIONALMSSOCIETYnationalmssociety.orgVisit source
- Reference 4PARKINSONparkinson.orgVisit source
- Reference 5NIDDKniddk.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 6DIABETESdiabetes.orgVisit source
- Reference 7NIMHnimh.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 8SAMHSAsamhsa.govVisit source
- Reference 9PTSDptsd.va.govVisit source
- Reference 10NAMInami.orgVisit source
- Reference 11NATIONALEATINGDISORDERSnationaleatingdisorders.orgVisit source
- Reference 12NIAAAniaaa.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 13NIDAnida.nih.govVisit source
- Reference 14KFFkff.orgVisit source
- Reference 15NCHSTATSnchstats.orgVisit source
- Reference 16COVIDcovid.cdc.govVisit source
- Reference 17MEDICAIDmedicaid.govVisit source
- Reference 18CMScms.govVisit source
- Reference 19AAMCaamc.orgVisit source
- Reference 20MCKINSEYmckinsey.comVisit source
- Reference 21HEALTHSYSTEMTRACKERhealthsystemtracker.orgVisit source
- Reference 22SHEPSCENTERshepscenter.unc.eduVisit source
- Reference 23VAva.govVisit source
- Reference 24AACNNURSINGaacnnursing.orgVisit source
- Reference 25BHWbhw.hrsa.govVisit source