What percentage of Americans do not have health insurance?

Asked by: Prof. Ella Haag I  |  Last update: October 31, 2025
Score: 4.6/5 (53 votes)

An estimated 26 million Americans, or 8 percent of the U.S. population, lacked health insurance in 2023.

How many US citizens do not have health insurance?

In 2023, 26 million people — or 8 percent of the population — were uninsured, according to a report in September 2024 from the Census Bureau. While those numbers represent a significant portion of the population, the uninsured rate in 2023 remained at one of its lowest levels in history.

What percentage of the US population cannot afford healthcare?

Table that depicts the percentage of U.S. adults who are cost secure (55%), cost insecure (37%) and cost desperate (8%). Trends are shown dating back to 2021. Since 2022, the percentage of respondents categorized as cost secure has dropped six percentage points and is now lower than the 56% measured in 2021.

What percentage of millennials don't have health insurance?

What percentage of millennials don't have health insurance? Statista found that in 2018, 66% of millennials were enrolled in private insurance plans, while 16% of millennials were uninsured.

Which US state has the highest uninsured health rate?

Texas is home to the country's largest share of Americans under 65 without health insurance, according to new Census Bureau data, with 18.8% of residents uninsured as of 2022.

Fact Check: 85 million Americans without health insurance?

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What happens in America if you can't afford healthcare?

Americans are no longer taxed for not carrying health insurance. Medical debt contributes to a large number of bankruptcies in America. Access to quality primary care is critical, but doctors have the right to refuse patients without insurance or who are able to pay out-of-pocket expenses.

Who is most likely to uninsured in the US?

Who is uninsured: Most uninsured people are in low-income families and have at least one worker in the family. Reflecting the more limited availability of public coverage in some states, adults ages 19-64 are more likely to be uninsured than children.

Which age group is most uninsured?

Young Adults (Ages 18 Through 24 Years)

Almost three out of every ten young adults do not have health insurance. Members of this age group are nearly twice as likely to be uninsured compared to members of the general population under age 65.

Why do most people not have health insurance?

uninsurance has been attributed to a number of factors, including rising health care costs, the economic downturn, an erosion of employer-based insurance, and public program cutbacks. Developing effective strategies for reducing uninsurance requires understanding why people lack insurance coverage.

What race is most likely to not have health insurance?

Uninsured Rates Vary Across and Within Racial and Ethnic Groups. Uninsured rates are higher among Latino, American Indian and Alaska Native (AIAN), Black, and Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander (NHPI) people than among Asian, white, and multiracial people. (See Figure 1.)

Is it better to have health insurance or pay out of pocket?

People without insurance pay, on average, twice as much for care. This means when you use a network provider you pay less for the same services than someone who doesn't have coverage – even before you meet your deductible.

What country has the best healthcare?

According to the 2024 Mirror, Mirror report, Australia, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom have the best healthcare systems, though the differences in overall performance among most countries are relatively small.

How much does an average American pay for healthcare?

U.S. health care spending grew 7.5 percent in 2023, reaching $4.9 trillion or $14,570 per person. As a share of the nation's Gross Domestic Product, health spending accounted for 17.6 percent.

Who pays for uninsured patients?

Hospitals do get help with the unpaid bills – from taxpayers. The majority of hospitals are non-profits and are exempt from federal, state and local taxes if they provide a community benefit, such as charitable care. Hospitals also receive federal funding to offset some of the costs of treating the poor.

What percentage of the population is on Obamacare?

On average, 20% of the population in non-expansion states have enrolled in an Affordable Care Act marketplace plan at some point in time, compared to 12% of the population in expansion states.

Is it illegal to not have health insurance in the US?

Key Takeaways

Health insurance coverage is no longer mandatory at the federal level, as of Jan. 1, 2019. Some states still require you to have health insurance coverage to avoid a tax penalty.

How bad is it to not have health insurance?

The National Center for Biotechnology Information says uninsured people are less likely to have a regular source of medical care, less likely to see a physician even when they're very sick, and more likely to delay routine care due to concerns about cost.

Who is not eligible for Obamacare?

Must live in the United States. Must be a U.S. citizen or national (or be lawfully present). Learn about eligible immigration statuses. Cannot be incarcerated in prison or jail.

What percentage of US population has no health insurance?

In Q1 2024, the estimated uninsured rate for the full population is 8.2 percent, which corresponds to 27.1 million individuals without insurance. This rate is not significantly different from the Q4 2023 uninsured rate of 7.7 percent.

What is the poorest age group?

In 2021, 11.6% of all persons lived at or below the poverty threshold. This proportion was greater for persons under age 18 (15.3%) than for those ages 18-64 (10.5%) and those above age 64 (10.3%).

What age group is the most expensive to insure?

Young drivers (16-24)

As a result, car insurance companies view young drivers as the most risky to insure. Drivers ages 16 to 24 tend to face the highest premiums compared to other age groups.

How many Americans cannot afford healthcare?

Healthcare Affordability Index Findings

Nearly half of Americans are now struggling to afford healthcare services and prescription medications. The Index revealed a record-low affordability rate of 55% in 2024, down from 61% in 2022.

How do most Americans get health insurance?

While the majority of people in the United States have private health insurance, primarily through an employer, others obtain coverage through programs offered by the government. Yet some do not have health insurance coverage at all (refer to the “What Is Health Insurance Coverage?” text box).