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The US has the world’s largest economy, but it still has no universal health insurance coverage, and a part of the population remains uninsured. The number of uninsured people has declined in recent years, but it’s still substantial.

The very high cost of healthcare makes it almost impossible for uninsured people to get care, which is a serious problem.

We’ve collected the latest statistics on the uninsured population in the US from multiple sources. Let’s dive right in

Key Findings

  • 27.2 million Americans have no health insurance
  • Younger adults are at much greater risk of being uninsured than the elderly population.
  • The uninsured rate varies by region in the US, from 2.5% in Massachusetts to 18.0% in Texas.
  • The rate of uninsured people is highest among Hispanic Americans.
  • Most households without health insurance make under $25,000 per year.
  • Affordability is cited as the most common reason (69.6%) for being uninsured in the US.

How Many Americans Don’t Have Health Insurance?

27.2 million Americans had no health insurance in 2021, representing 8.3% of the US population, an all-time low since 2008[1].

8.6% of Americans (28.1 million)  of all ages reported themselves to be uninsured in 2021. The vast majority (66.5%. 18.7 million) of uninsured Americans said they have had no health insurance coverage for a year or more[2].

Share of Uninsured Population (All Ages)

The number of uninsured Americans and the percentage share of the uninsured population since 2008:
Year Uninsured Population (All Ages, in Thousands) Share of Uninsured Population (All Ages)
2008 43,503 14.6%
2009 45,665 15.1%
2010 47,208 15.5%
2011 46,376 15.1%
2012 45,615 14.8%
2013 45,181 14.5%
2014 36,670 11.7%
2015 29,758 9.4%
2016 27,304 8.6%
2017 28,019 8.7%
2018 28,566 8.9%
2019 29,639 9.2%
2020 28,291 8.6%
2021 27,187 8.3%

Who Goes Without Health Insurance?

Take a look at what socioeconomic, demographic, and geographic characteristics describe the uninsured population in the US.

Uninsured Population by State

According to Kaiser Foundation Family estimates, uninsured share by state ranges from as low as 2.5% in Massachusetts to as high as 18.0% in Texas.

Among 50 states in the US, 14 have an uninsured population of 10.0% or more of the total (above the US average of 8.3-8.6%). Only 8 states report that 5.0% or less of the population has no health insurance[4].

Uninsured population (incl. share of the total population) by state in the US:
State Uninsured Population Uninsured Percentage
Texas 5,202,500 18.00%
Oklahoma 531,300 13.80%
Georgia 1,333,100 12.70%
Florida 2,588,100 12.10%
Mississippi 339,300 11.90%
Wyoming 65,000 11.50%
Nevada 351,500 11.40%
Alaska 75,700 10.80%
Arizona 750,200 10.60%
North Carolina 1,059,400 10.40%
Tennessee 686,300 10.10%
Alabama 489,600 10.00%
New Mexico 205,800 10.00%
South Carolina 504,700 10.00%
South Dakota 81,200 9.40%
Missouri 557,100 9.30%
Arkansas 269,300 9.20%
Kansas 262,300 9.20%
Utah 299,700 9.10%
Idaho 159,400 8.50%
Colorado 451,000 8.00%
Montana 86,000 8.00%
North Dakota 56,800 7.70%
Indiana 494,100 7.50%
Louisiana 337,000 7.50%
New Jersey 650,700 7.20%
California 2,704,300 7.00%
Nebraska 134,400 7.00%
Illinois 851,500 6.90%
Virginia 566,300 6.80%
Ohio 743,100 6.50%
Washington 489,100 6.50%
West Virginia 107,000 6.20%
Maryland 364,000 6.10%
Oregon 254,000 6.10%
Delaware 55,700 5.70%
Kentucky 244,400 5.60%
Maine 72,200 5.40%
Pennsylvania 681,000 5.40%
Wisconsin 308,400 5.40%
New York 1,013,200 5.20%
Connecticut 179,600 5.10%
Michigan 502,600 5.10%
New Hampshire 66,900 5.00%
Iowa 152,800 4.90%
Minnesota 239,200 4.30%
Rhode Island 45,100 4.30%
District of Columbia 23,300 3.70%
Hawaii 49,800 3.70%
Vermont 20,700 3.30%
Massachusetts 165,600 2.50%

Uninsured Population by Age

Based on ACS data, younger adults (26-34 years old) in the US tend to be more uninsured than any other age group, with a share of 15.1% without any coverage, while for the elderly population (75 years and older) that’s low as 0.5%[3].

Uninsured population by age group (share of total):
Age group Uninsured Population Share of Uninsured Population
Under 6 years 1,013,971 4.5%
6 to 18 years 3,150,717 5.7%
19 to 25 years 4,135,054 14.2%
26 to 34 years  6,011,961 15.1%
35 to 44 years 5,564,469 13.0%
45 to 54 years  4,398,639 10.9%
55 to 64 years  3,507,090 8.3%
65 to 74 years  335,482 1.0%
75 years and older 109,499 0.5%

NCHS data suggest that 4.1% of children (ages between 0 and 17 years old) are uninsured, while for adults (18-64 years), that’s 12.6% and only 0.5% among those 65 years old and above[2].

Uninsured Population by Household Income

Most households without health insurance make under $25,000 per year with a 13% share. That share drops with each higher income tier, reaching 4.8% among households with an income of $100,000 or more[3].

Uninsured population by household income (share of total):
Household Income Uninsured Population Share of Uninsured Population
Under $25,0000 5,124,214 13.0%
$25,000 to $49,999 6,813,952 12.9%
$50,000 to $74,999 5,750,753 11.0%
$75,000 to $99,999 3,760,818 8.5%
$100,000 and over 6,505,516 4.8%

Uninsured Adult Population by Level of Education

Among adults 26 years and over, the ACS report finds that the nation’s uninsured rate highly varies depending on the level of education, from 3.7% among the population who had higher education (Bachelor’s degree or higher) to 22.2% among those who did not graduate high school[3].

Uninsured population among adults 26 years and over by the level of education (share of total):
Education Uninsured Population Share of Uninsured Population
No high school diploma 5,131,058 22.2%
High school graduate 6,898,609 12.1%
Some college or associate’s degree 4,990,757 8.1%
Bachelor’s degree or higher 2,906,716 3.7%

Uninsured Nonelderly Population by Race

A Kaiser Family Foundation report noted that people of color are more likely to be uninsured than White people in the US[4].

Uninsured nonelderly population and rate by race/ethnicity (share of total)
Race/ethnicity Uninsured Population Percentage of Uninsured Population Percentage of Overall Population
White 10,639,800 7.2% 59.3%
Black 3,560,100 10.9% 13.6%
Hispanic 10,717,500 19.0% 18.9%
Asian/Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander 1,063,800 6.5% 0.3%
American Indian/Alaska Native 311,800 21.2% 1.3%
Multiple Races 1,187,000 8.3% 2.9%

Uninsured Population by Disability Status

The American Community Survey finds nation’s uninsured rate is higher among people with no disability (9.1%) than among those with a disability (5.6%)[3].

Uninsured population and rates in the US grouped by disability status (share of total):
Disability Status Uninsured Population Share of Uninsured Population
With a disability  2,392,929 5.6%
No disability 25,833,953 9.1%

Why Do Americans Lack Health Insurance?

Among uninsured adults aged 18-64 in the US, the affordability barrier was the most commonly reported reason for being uninsured (69.6% of respondents cited that reason). Other common reasons included not being eligible for coverage (26.2%) and having a personal preference not to have health insurance (23.5%)[5].

Milica Aleksandric

Milica has a cross-disciplinary background in web development, design and business management. She is a passionate advocate of financial education and literacy as life skills that help people live life by design. She believes that finance, or any topic, should be written to be engaging, easy to understand, and jargon-free. In her downtime, she enjoys hanging out with her dog, swimming, and trying new recipes.


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Reviewed by Steve Rogers