Allergy Statistics
Allergic Rhinitis
- Roughly 7.8% of people 18 and over in the U.S. have hay fever.4
- In 2010, white children in the U.S. were more likely to have had hay fever (10%) than black children (7%).1
- Worldwide, allergic rhinitis affects between 10% and 30 % of the population.3
- Worldwide, sensitization (IgE antibodies) to foreign proteins in the environment is present in up to 40% of the population.3
- In 2012, 7.5% or 17.6 million adults were diagnosed with hay fever in the past 12 months.5
- In 2012, 9.0% or 6.6 million children reported hay fever in the past 12 months.6
- In 2010, 11.1 million visits to physician offices resulted with a primary diagnosis of allergic rhinitis.7
Drug Allergy
- Worldwide, adverse drug reactions may affect up to 10% of the world’s population and affect up to 20% of all hospitalized patients.3
- Worldwide, drugs may be responsible for up to 20% of fatalities due to anaphylaxis.3
Food Allergy
- Findings from a 2009 to 2010 study of 38,480 children (infant to 18) indicated:2
8% have a food allergy
o Approximately 6% aged 0-2 years have a food allergy
o About 9% aged 3-5 years have a food allergy
o Nearly 8% aged 6-10 years have a food allergy
o Approximately 8% aged 11-13 years have a food allergy
o More than 8.5% aged 14-18 years have a food allergy
- 38.7% of food allergic children have a history of severe reactions2
- 30.4% of food allergic children have multiple food allergies2
- Of food allergic children, peanut is the most prevalent allergen, followed by milk and then shellfish2
- In 2012, 5.6% or 4.1 million children reported food allergies in the past 12 months.6
- 6.2% of adults reported having a food allergy.8
- Women are more likely to have food allergies than men (7.8% of Women and 4.6% of Men)8
- In 2021, 8.5% of Black adults reported having a food allergy compared to only 4.4% of Hispanic adults, 4.5% of Asian adults, and 6.2% of White adults.8
- Findings from a 2021 NHIS survey indicated:
o An estimated 1 in 20 children have food allergies (5.8%).9
o Children aged 12-17 are more likely to have food allergies than children in younger age groups.9
o Black children were more likely to have food allergies than White, Asian, and Hispanic children.9
General Allergy
- Worldwide, the rise in prevalence of allergic diseases has continued in the industrialized world for more than 50 years.3
- Worldwide, sensitization rates to one or more common allergens among school children are currently approaching 40%-50%.3
- In 2012, 10.6% or 7.8 million children reported respiratory allergies in the past 12 months.6
- In a 2021 NHIS survey, 25.7% of adults aged 18-44 reported having a seasonal allergy:9
o 28.4% of White adults
o 24.0% of Black adults
o 18.8% of Hispanic adults
o 17.0% of Asian adults
- 29% of Women have reported a seasonal allergy compared to 21% of men who report having a seasonal allergy.9
- Over a quarter of children (27.2%) have at least one allergic condition.9
- The percentage of children with seasonal allergies varies by race, with both Black and White children nearly twice as likely to have a seasonal allergy than Asian children9
o 21.3% of Black children
o 20.4% of White children
o 15.3% of Hispanic children
o 11% of Asian children
- Boys are more likely to have seasonal allergies than girls (20% of boys and 17.7% of girls).9
Insect Allergy
- Worldwide, in up to 50% of individuals who experience a fatal reaction there is no documented history of a previous systemic reaction.3
Sinusitis
- Roughly 13% of people 18 and over in the U.S. have sinusitis.4
Skin Allergy
- In 2010, black children in the U.S. were more likely to have had skin allergies (17%) than white (12%) or Asian (10%) children.1
- Worldwide, urticaria occurs with lifetime prevalence above 20%.3
- In 2012, 12.0% or 8.8 million children reported skin allergies in the past 12 months.6
- 10.8% of children are reported to have eczema9
o 14.2% of Black children have eczema
o 10.2% of White children have eczema
o 9.5% of Hispanic children eczema
o 9.0 % of Asian children have eczema
- 7.3% of adults were reported to have eczema in 2021.8
o 8.9% of women have eczema compared to only 5.7% of men.
- Hispanic adults are less likely to have eczema compared to non-Hispanic adults, while Black adults are the most likely to have eczema.8
o 4.8% of Hispanic adults
o 6.5% of Asian adults
o 7.7% of White adults
o 8.6% of Black adults
References
1. Bloom B, Cohen RA, Freeman G. Summary health statistics for U.S. children: National Health Interview Survey, 2010. National Center for Health Statistics. Vital Health Stat 10(250). 2011.
2. Gupta, R, et al. The Prevalence, Severity and Distribution of Childhood Food Allergy in the United States. Pediatrics 2011; 10.1542/ped.2011-0204.
3. World Health Organization. White Book on Allergy 2011-2012 Executive Summary. By Prof. Ruby Pawankar, MD, PhD, Prof. Giorgio Walkter Canonica, MD, Prof. Stephen T. Holgate, BSc, MD, DSc, FMed Sci and Prof. Richard F. Lockey, MD.
4. Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2010. By Jeannine S. Schiller, M.P.H., Jacqueline W. Lucas, M.P.H., Brian W. Ward, PhD and Jennifer A. Peregory, M.P.H., Division of Health Interview Statistics.
5. Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Adults: National Health Interview Survey, 2012, table 3, 4.
6. Summary Health Statistics for U.S. Children: National Health Interview Survey, 2012, table 2.
7. National Ambulatory Medical Care Survey: 2010 Summary Tables, table 13.
8. Ng AE, Boersma P. Diagnosed allergic conditions in adults: United States, 2021. NCHS Data Brief, no 460. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2023. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:122809.
9. Zablotsky B, Black LI, Akinbami LJ. Diagnosed allergic conditions in children aged 0–17 years: United States, 2021. NCHS Data Brief, no 459. Hyattsville, MD: National Center for Health Statistics. 2023. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.15620/cdc:123250.
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