Asthma Prevalence in the United States
Although the percentage of children with asthma is on the decline, African-American communities and those living in underserved areas still feel a disproportionate burden. The information below highlights the percentage of people in the United States who have been diagnosed with asthma as well as the rate of asthma-related deaths, based on a 2015 CDC study.1, 2
| Characteristic | All Ages Total | Children Age < 18 | Adults Age > 18 | Death Rate, per million |
|---|---|---|---|---|
White Non Hispanic | 7.8 | 7.4 | 7.9 | 8.4 |
White Non Hispanic: Male | 6.3 | 8.7 | 5.6 | n/a |
White Non Hispanic: Female | 9.3 | 6 | 10.1 | n/a |
Black Non Hispanic | 10.3 | 13.4 | 9.1 | 23.9 |
Black Non Hispanic: Male | 8.9 | 16 | 6 | n/a |
Black Non Hispanic: Female | 11.5 | 10.8 | 11.7 | n/a |
The CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics reports the following data for asthmatics living in the United States:
11.1% live of asthmatics below the poverty line
21% of people with asthma smoke cigarettes
13.8 million school days missed by children in 2013 due to asthma
9 people die each day from asthma
15% increase in the prevalence of asthma in the past decade
2 million visits to emergency departments with asthma as the primary diagnosis
Did you know?3
- Black children are two times more likely than white children to have asthma.
- Multi-race and black adults are more likely than white adults to have asthma.
- Adults with an annual household income of $75,000 or less are more likely than adults with higher incomes to have asthma.
- Adults who didn’t finish high school are more likely to have asthma than adults who graduated from high school or college.
SOURCES
1 “2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Data: Table 3-1: Current Asthma Population Estimates — in thousands by Age, United States.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last modified January 21, 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/nhis/2015/table3-1.htm
2 “2015 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) Data: Table 4-1: Current Asthma Prevalence Percents by Age, United States.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last modified January 21, 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/nhis/2015/table4-1.htm
3 National Center for Health Statistics. “Asthma.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Last modified January 21, 2017. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/asthma.htm
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