How Many Americans Are Uninsured? (2025)

Name: Number of Uninsured People in U.S. (1997-2024*)
Creator: ConsumerShield Research Team
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

Discover trends in the number of uninsured Americans from 1997 to 2024 and see how healthcare policies and economic conditions have shaped these numbers.

Research Team

ConsumerShield

Reviewed By Bryan Driscoll

Contributor

December 4, 2024 Read in 2 mins

Number of Uninsured People in U.S. (1997-2024*)

www.consumershield.com

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Data was collected at the time of the interview.
*Data from 2024 is only for the first half.
Sources: National Center for Health Statistics

Data Share

Research Insurance

Early 2000s: How Many Americans Don't Have Health Insurance
Impact of Healthcare Policies
Recent Trends and Changes in How Many People Are Uninsured in the U.S.
Pandemic and Continued Improvement
Review of Recent Years
Conclusion and Future Outlook

How many Americans are uninsured? Quick Answer

In 2023, about 25 million Americans were uninsured. Data from the first half of 2024 shows an increase to 26.2 million.

Early 2000s: How Many Americans Don't Have Health Insurance

In 1997, about 41 million Americans had no health insurance. By 2005, this number had slightly risen to 41.2 million. Then in 2010, it jumped to 48.6 million, largely due to the economic downturn from the 2008 financial crisis.

Impact of Healthcare Policies

In the years following, the number of uninsured Americans steadily decreased, thanks to new healthcare policies like the Affordable Care Act (ACA). By 2011, the number dropped to 46.3 million and fell further to 44.8 million by 2013. The biggest drop happened in 2014 when major ACA provisions kicked in, reducing the number to 36 million.

Recent Trends and Changes in How Many People Are Uninsured in the U.S.

The trend continued favorably in the following years, with the numbers of how many people are uninsured in the U.S. reaching a low of 28.6 million in both 2015 and 2016. Despite a slight rise to 29.3 million in 2017, the overall downward trend persisted. By 2018, the number was 30.4 million, and it slightly increased again in 2019 to 33.2 million, possibly due to policy changes and fluctuations in the healthcare market.

Pandemic and Continued Improvement

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit in 2020, economic challenges helped lower the number of uninsured Americans to 31.6 million, as crises often push people to get coverage. By 2021, the number leveled off at about 30 million, and thanks to ongoing improvements in healthcare, it dropped further to 27.6 million in 2022.

Review of Recent Years

For 2023, the data indicates that there were 25 million uninsured Americans. The latest data for 2024, covering only the first and second quarters, shows an increase to 26.2 million uninsured individuals, as reported at the time of their interviews. This suggests a rising trend in the number of uninsured Americans in the early part of 2024.

Conclusion and Future Outlook

The changing numbers of how many Americans are uninsured from 1997 to 2024 show how healthcare policy, economic conditions, and public health efforts interact. These statistics help policymakers, healthcare providers, and the public see what's working and what needs improvement. Analyzing these trends helps assess past actions and plan future strategies to get more Americans the health coverage they need. According to ConsumerShield, the consequences of being uninsured include delayed medical care and higher long-term costs, underscoring the need for continued efforts to expand coverage.