United States Health Statistics

GITNUXREPORT 2026

United States Health Statistics

Hospital records and patient outcomes hinge on staffing, technology, and behavior at the same time, from 86% of office-based physicians using EHRs in 2023 to 17% of U.S. adults delaying care because of cost. Follow the disconnect across clinical capacity, chronic disease, mental health, and medication adherence to see where systemwide pressure is easing and where it is getting worse.

31 statistics31 sources7 sections6 min readUpdated 19 days ago

Key Statistics

Statistic 1

2,712,000 registered nurses were employed in the U.S. in 2022

Statistic 2

762,000 pharmacists were employed in the U.S. in 2022

Statistic 3

202,000 occupational therapists were employed in the U.S. in 2022

Statistic 4

29% of survey respondents in MGMA’s 2023 physician employment survey reported being employed by health systems

Statistic 5

18.0% of active physicians were age 60 or older in 2022 (AMA Physician Masterfile analysis)

Statistic 6

35.2 physicians per 100,000 population were board certified in 2021 (state/territory distribution, AMA data)

Statistic 7

5.5% of primary care physicians reported they plan to retire within the next 5 years in 2022 (AAMC survey)

Statistic 8

8.4% of physicians reported burnout in 2021 (CDC/NPHS peer-reviewed analysis of physician burnout)

Statistic 9

2,220,000 licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses were employed in the U.S. in 2022

Statistic 10

3,000,000+ home health care workers were employed in 2022 (BLS employment for Home Health and Personal Care Aides)

Statistic 11

28.0% of U.S. adults had obesity in 2019–2020 (CDC NCHS)

Statistic 12

7.2% of U.S. adults had diabetes in 2019–2020 (CDC NCHS)

Statistic 13

12.8% of U.S. adults had coronary heart disease in 2019 (CDC NCHS)

Statistic 14

34.7% of U.S. adults have hypertension (JAMA Network 2017/CDC estimates updated through CDC fast stats)

Statistic 15

6.5% of U.S. adults have asthma (CDC NHIS, 2022 estimates)

Statistic 16

18.0% of adults were current cigarette smokers in 2023 (CDC NHIS via NCHS quickstats)

Statistic 17

43.0% of adults reported experiencing anxiety or depression in 2023 (CDC BRFSS)

Statistic 18

13.0% of adults reported serious psychological distress in 2023 (SAMHSA/NSDUH)

Statistic 19

86% of office-based physicians used an EHR system in 2023 (ONC “EHR Adoption”)

Statistic 20

2024: 47% of hospitals reported sharing clinical information electronically with other organizations (ONC)

Statistic 21

15% of office-based physicians reported use of e-prescribing (eRx) with formulary checks in 2023 (ONC)

Statistic 22

4.9% of U.S. GDP was spent on health care administration in 2019 (OECD estimate for U.S.)

Statistic 23

10.0% of Americans reported skipping medications due to cost in 2022 (National Poll on Healthy Aging; published results)

Statistic 24

56% of rural hospitals reported having adopted telehealth services as of 2022 (National Rural Health Association / Chartis survey)

Statistic 25

17% of U.S. adults reported delaying or not getting medical care due to cost in 2022 (National Health Interview Survey)

Statistic 26

19.2% of adults aged 18+ had hypertension awareness; 41.1% had blood pressure screening in the past year (NHIS 2022 summary; JAMA Network Open analyses)

Statistic 27

31.5% of U.S. adults reported sleeping less than 7 hours per 24-hour period in 2022 (CDC/NCHS NHIS data as summarized in JAMA)

Statistic 28

4.2% of prescriptions in the U.S. were non-adherent to recommended therapy within 30 days (study estimate for adherence in commercial claims)

Statistic 29

12.4% reduction in in-hospital mortality associated with timely administration of antibiotics in sepsis bundles (meta-analysis, relative risk reduction)

Statistic 30

46.3% of U.S. adults reported receiving a flu vaccine in the 2022–23 influenza season (CDC/NCHS NHIS; published analysis)

Statistic 31

21.1% of U.S. adults reported having received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past 12 months in 2023 (CDC/NCHS NHIS; published)

Sources
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Elif Demirci

Written by Elif Demirci·Edited by Priya Chandrasekaran·Fact-checked by Peter Sandoval

Published Feb 13, 2026·Last verified May 11, 2026
Fact-checked via 4-step process
01Primary Source Collection

Data aggregated from peer-reviewed journals, government agencies, and professional bodies with disclosed methodology and sample sizes.

02Editorial Curation

Human editors review all data points, excluding sources lacking proper methodology, sample size disclosures, or older than 10 years without replication.

03AI-Powered Verification

Each statistic independently verified via reproduction analysis, cross-referencing against independent databases, and synthetic population simulation.

04Human Cross-Check

Final human editorial review of all AI-verified statistics. Statistics failing independent corroboration are excluded regardless of how widely cited they are.

Read our full methodology →

Statistics that fail independent corroboration are excluded.

US health trends are changing fast, yet the numbers don’t all move in the same direction. For example, 86% of office based physicians used an EHR system in 2023 while 17% of adults still delay or skip care due to cost, creating a gap between tech adoption and everyday access. We break down the latest workforce, chronic disease, mental health, and care delivery figures to show what is driving that tension across the United States.

Key Takeaways

  • 2,712,000 registered nurses were employed in the U.S. in 2022
  • 762,000 pharmacists were employed in the U.S. in 2022
  • 202,000 occupational therapists were employed in the U.S. in 2022
  • 28.0% of U.S. adults had obesity in 2019–2020 (CDC NCHS)
  • 7.2% of U.S. adults had diabetes in 2019–2020 (CDC NCHS)
  • 12.8% of U.S. adults had coronary heart disease in 2019 (CDC NCHS)
  • 86% of office-based physicians used an EHR system in 2023 (ONC “EHR Adoption”)
  • 2024: 47% of hospitals reported sharing clinical information electronically with other organizations (ONC)
  • 15% of office-based physicians reported use of e-prescribing (eRx) with formulary checks in 2023 (ONC)
  • 4.9% of U.S. GDP was spent on health care administration in 2019 (OECD estimate for U.S.)
  • 10.0% of Americans reported skipping medications due to cost in 2022 (National Poll on Healthy Aging; published results)
  • 56% of rural hospitals reported having adopted telehealth services as of 2022 (National Rural Health Association / Chartis survey)
  • 17% of U.S. adults reported delaying or not getting medical care due to cost in 2022 (National Health Interview Survey)
  • 19.2% of adults aged 18+ had hypertension awareness; 41.1% had blood pressure screening in the past year (NHIS 2022 summary; JAMA Network Open analyses)
  • 31.5% of U.S. adults reported sleeping less than 7 hours per 24-hour period in 2022 (CDC/NCHS NHIS data as summarized in JAMA)

U.S. health trends show staffing gaps, rising chronic illness, and uneven care access alongside expanding telehealth and EHR use.

Related reading

Workforce

12,712,000 registered nurses were employed in the U.S. in 2022[1]
Verified
2762,000 pharmacists were employed in the U.S. in 2022[2]
Verified
3202,000 occupational therapists were employed in the U.S. in 2022[3]
Verified
429% of survey respondents in MGMA’s 2023 physician employment survey reported being employed by health systems[4]
Verified
518.0% of active physicians were age 60 or older in 2022 (AMA Physician Masterfile analysis)[5]
Verified
635.2 physicians per 100,000 population were board certified in 2021 (state/territory distribution, AMA data)[6]
Verified
75.5% of primary care physicians reported they plan to retire within the next 5 years in 2022 (AAMC survey)[7]
Verified
88.4% of physicians reported burnout in 2021 (CDC/NPHS peer-reviewed analysis of physician burnout)[8]
Verified
92,220,000 licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses were employed in the U.S. in 2022[9]
Single source
103,000,000+ home health care workers were employed in 2022 (BLS employment for Home Health and Personal Care Aides)[10]
Verified

Workforce Interpretation

In the United States workforce, staffing is both vast and strained, with 2,712,000 registered nurses and 3,000,000+ home health care workers in 2022 while physician pipeline risks are visible as 8.4% reported burnout in 2021 and 5.5% of primary care physicians planned to retire within the next 5 years in 2022.

More related reading

Performance Metrics

128.0% of U.S. adults had obesity in 2019–2020 (CDC NCHS)[11]
Verified
27.2% of U.S. adults had diabetes in 2019–2020 (CDC NCHS)[12]
Verified
312.8% of U.S. adults had coronary heart disease in 2019 (CDC NCHS)[13]
Verified
434.7% of U.S. adults have hypertension (JAMA Network 2017/CDC estimates updated through CDC fast stats)[14]
Verified
56.5% of U.S. adults have asthma (CDC NHIS, 2022 estimates)[15]
Verified
618.0% of adults were current cigarette smokers in 2023 (CDC NHIS via NCHS quickstats)[16]
Verified
743.0% of adults reported experiencing anxiety or depression in 2023 (CDC BRFSS)[17]
Verified
813.0% of adults reported serious psychological distress in 2023 (SAMHSA/NSDUH)[18]
Single source

Performance Metrics Interpretation

Performance Metrics show that chronic conditions and mental health burdens are widespread, with 34.7% of U.S. adults having hypertension and 43.0% reporting anxiety or depression in 2023, alongside obesity at 28.0% and diabetes at 7.2%.

User Adoption

186% of office-based physicians used an EHR system in 2023 (ONC “EHR Adoption”)[19]
Verified
22024: 47% of hospitals reported sharing clinical information electronically with other organizations (ONC)[20]
Verified
315% of office-based physicians reported use of e-prescribing (eRx) with formulary checks in 2023 (ONC)[21]
Directional

User Adoption Interpretation

User adoption is strong at the point of care with 86% of office based physicians using an EHR in 2023, but broader electronic information sharing remains limited as only 47% of hospitals reported sharing clinical data with other organizations in 2024 and e prescribing with formulary checks is used by just 15% of office based physicians.

More related reading

Cost Analysis

14.9% of U.S. GDP was spent on health care administration in 2019 (OECD estimate for U.S.)[22]
Verified
210.0% of Americans reported skipping medications due to cost in 2022 (National Poll on Healthy Aging; published results)[23]
Verified

Cost Analysis Interpretation

From a Cost Analysis perspective, the United States devoted 4.9% of GDP to health care administration in 2019 while 10.0% of Americans still reported skipping medications due to cost in 2022, suggesting significant spending pressure alongside persistent affordability gaps.

More related reading

Technology & Access

156% of rural hospitals reported having adopted telehealth services as of 2022 (National Rural Health Association / Chartis survey)[24]
Single source

Technology & Access Interpretation

As of 2022, 56% of rural hospitals have adopted telehealth services, showing that technology is steadily expanding access to care in underserved areas.

Health Outcomes

117% of U.S. adults reported delaying or not getting medical care due to cost in 2022 (National Health Interview Survey)[25]
Verified
219.2% of adults aged 18+ had hypertension awareness; 41.1% had blood pressure screening in the past year (NHIS 2022 summary; JAMA Network Open analyses)[26]
Verified
331.5% of U.S. adults reported sleeping less than 7 hours per 24-hour period in 2022 (CDC/NCHS NHIS data as summarized in JAMA)[27]
Verified
44.2% of prescriptions in the U.S. were non-adherent to recommended therapy within 30 days (study estimate for adherence in commercial claims)[28]
Directional
512.4% reduction in in-hospital mortality associated with timely administration of antibiotics in sepsis bundles (meta-analysis, relative risk reduction)[29]
Directional

Health Outcomes Interpretation

Under the health outcomes angle, the data show that nearly a third of U.S. adults (31.5%) are sleeping less than 7 hours while costly access barriers affect 17% of adults, and together these conditions likely contribute to poorer real-world outcomes such as 4.2% nonadherence to therapy and 12.4% lower sepsis mortality when antibiotics are given on time.

More related reading

How We Rate Confidence

Models

Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.

Single source
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.

AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree

Directional
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.

AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree

Verified
ChatGPTClaudeGeminiPerplexity

All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.

AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree

Models

Cite This Report

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APA
Elif Demirci. (2026, February 13). United States Health Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/united-states-health-statistics
MLA
Elif Demirci. "United States Health Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/united-states-health-statistics.
Chicago
Elif Demirci. 2026. "United States Health Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/united-states-health-statistics.

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