Epidemiology
Epidemiology of Asthma in Children and Adults
- According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the percent of adults age 18 years and older who currently have asthma: 8.9% (2023)1
- Percent of children younger than age 18 years who currently have asthma: 6.7% (2023)1
- Annual number of physician office visits for asthma: 4.9 million (2019)1
- Number of emergency department visits with asthma, excluding chronic obstructive asthma, as a primary diagnosis: 939,000 (2021)1
- Number of deaths: 3,602 (2022)1
- Low income is linked to asthma prevalence, exacerbations, hospitalizations, and intensive care unit admission2
- In addition to low income, inequities in wealth, homeownership, educational attainment, and employment opportunities contribute to asthma disparities2
- Black and Latino Americans have a higher asthma prevalence and greater asthma morbidity than White Americans and also bear a disproportionate burden of social determinants of health2
References
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. National Center for Healthcare Statistics. Asthma. Updated 07/31/2025. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/asthma.htm
- Grant T, et al. Asthma and the social determinants of health. Ann Allergy Asthma Immunol. 2022;128:5-11. https://www.annallergy.org/article/S1081-1206(21)01132-7/fulltext
All URLs accessed March 21, 2025
