Health in the United States is shaped by the workforce that delivers care, the health conditions it manages, and the systems that connect patients to services. This page examines key chronic diseases—obesity, diabetes, coronary heart disease, and hypertension—alongside risk and prevention measures like sleep, medication cost burdens, and vaccine uptake. It also looks at care delivery and coordination, including physician health system employment and how e-records, e-prescribing, and telehealth affect access.
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 shows growing workforce and digital care, but chronic disease and care delays persist.
Related reading
01 · Category
Workforce10 stats
01
2,712,000 registered nurses were employed in the U.S. in 2022
02
762,000 pharmacists were employed in the U.S. in 2022
03
202,000 occupational therapists were employed in the U.S. in 2022
04
29% of survey respondents in MGMA’s 2023 physician employment survey reported being employed by health systems
05
18.0% of active physicians were age 60 or older in 2022 (AMA Physician Masterfile analysis)
06
35.2 physicians per 100,000 population were board certified in 2021 (state/territory distribution, AMA data)
07
5.5% of primary care physicians reported they plan to retire within the next 5 years in 2022 (AAMC survey)
08
8.4% of physicians reported burnout in 2021 (CDC/NPHS peer-reviewed analysis of physician burnout)
09
2,220,000 licensed practical and licensed vocational nurses were employed in the U.S. in 2022
10
3,000,000+ home health care workers were employed in 2022 (BLS employment for Home Health and Personal Care Aides)
Interpretation
Workforce Interpretation
In the U.S. workforce, the scale of care providers is huge with 2,712,000 registered nurses and 762,000 pharmacists employed in 2022, while physician staffing shows age and distribution pressures with 18.0% of active physicians aged 60 or older in 2022 and only 35.2 physicians per 100,000 population board certified in 2021.
02 · Category
Performance Metrics8 stats
01
28.0% of U.S. adults had obesity in 2019–2020 (CDC NCHS)
02
7.2% of U.S. adults had diabetes in 2019–2020 (CDC NCHS)
03
12.8% of U.S. adults had coronary heart disease in 2019 (CDC NCHS)
04
34.7% of U.S. adults have hypertension (JAMA Network 2017/CDC estimates updated through CDC fast stats)
05
6.5% of U.S. adults have asthma (CDC NHIS, 2022 estimates)
06
18.0% of adults were current cigarette smokers in 2023 (CDC NHIS via NCHS quickstats)
07
43.0% of adults reported experiencing anxiety or depression in 2023 (CDC BRFSS)
08
13.0% of adults reported serious psychological distress in 2023 (SAMHSA/NSDUH)
Interpretation
Performance Metrics Interpretation
For the Performance Metrics of U.S. health, chronic conditions are highly prevalent with 28.0% of adults having obesity and 34.7% reporting hypertension, and smoking remains substantial at 18.0% in 2023.
03 · Category
Health Outcomes11 stats
01
17% of U.S. adults reported delaying or not getting medical care due to cost in 2022 (National Health Interview Survey)
02
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)
03
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)
04
4.2% of prescriptions in the U.S. were non-adherent to recommended therapy within 30 days (study estimate for adherence in commercial claims)
05
12.4% reduction in in-hospital mortality associated with timely administration of antibiotics in sepsis bundles (meta-analysis, relative risk reduction)
06
17% of U.S. adults delayed or did not get medical care due to cost in 2022
07
16.2% of U.S. adults delayed or did not get medical care due to cost in 2019
08
15.6% of U.S. adults delayed or did not get medical care due to cost in 2018
09
14.2% of U.S. adults delayed or did not get medical care due to cost in 2016
10
13.8% of U.S. adults delayed or did not get medical care due to cost in 2015
11
13.7% of U.S. adults delayed or did not get medical care due to cost in 2014
Interpretation
Health Outcomes Interpretation
From a Health Outcomes perspective, delays in care because of cost remain common at 17% of adults and only 31.5% report getting at least 7 hours of sleep while medication nonadherence affects about 4.2% of prescriptions, yet sepsis treatment still shows improved outcomes with a 12.4% reduction in in hospital mortality when antibiotics are given promptly.
More related reading
report visual · Projection
Cost-related care delay among U.S. adults
Cost-related delayed or missed medical care due to cost rose overall from 2014 to 2022, with the highest share in 2022 and a clear upward direction across the period.
13.7 Percent of U.S. adults
Start
+2.73%
CAGR · 8y
17 Percent of U.S. adults
Projected
20142022
source-verifiedcdc.gov2022
04 · Category
User Adoption3 stats
01
86% of office-based physicians used an EHR system in 2023 (ONC “EHR Adoption”)
02
2024: 47% of hospitals reported sharing clinical information electronically with other organizations (ONC)
03
15% of office-based physicians reported use of e-prescribing (eRx) with formulary checks in 2023 (ONC)
Interpretation
User Adoption Interpretation
User adoption is strong where EHRs are concerned with 86% of office-based physicians using them in 2023, but sharing clinical information electronically lags at 47% of hospitals in 2024 and e-prescribing with formulary checks is used by only 15% of office-based physicians in 2023.
05 · Category
Cost Analysis2 stats
01
4.9% of U.S. GDP was spent on health care administration in 2019 (OECD estimate for U.S.)
02
10.0% of Americans reported skipping medications due to cost in 2022 (National Poll on Healthy Aging; published results)
Interpretation
Cost Analysis Interpretation
In the Cost Analysis of U.S. health spending, 4.9% of GDP went to health care administration in 2019 while 10.0% of Americans reported skipping medications due to cost in 2022, underscoring how administrative spending and out of pocket medication affordability pressures can coexist.
06 · Category
Industry Overview3 stats
01
46.3% of U.S. adults reported receiving a flu vaccine in the 2022–23 influenza season (CDC/NCHS NHIS; published analysis)
02
21.1% of U.S. adults reported having received a COVID-19 vaccine in the past 12 months in 2023 (CDC/NCHS NHIS; published)
03
56% of rural hospitals reported having adopted telehealth services as of 2022 (National Rural Health Association / Chartis survey)
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
From an industry overview perspective, vaccination uptake is uneven while telehealth is rapidly spreading, with only 46.3% of U.S. adults getting a flu shot in 2022–23 and 21.1% receiving a COVID-19 vaccine in the prior 12 months, even as 56% of rural hospitals had adopted telehealth by 2022.
Reference
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.
Sources & references
32 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+20 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)