Almost a Third of U.S. Adults and Children Have at Least One Allergy

Approximately, 3 in 10 U.S. adults and children reported having a seasonal allergy, eczema, or food allergy in 2024, according to new data from CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. Almost 7% of adults in the U.S. and 5% of children have a food allergy.

The data are captured in two new reports from the National Health Interview Survey: “Diagnosed Allergic Conditions Among Adults: United States, 2024” and “Diagnosed Allergic Conditions Among Children Ages 0−17 Years: United States, 2024.”

Findings from the adults’ report include—

• About one quarter (25.2%) of adults have a seasonal allergy, 7.7% have eczema, and 6.7% have a food allergy.
• White, non-Hispanic adults are more likely to have a seasonal allergy (28.5%) compared to Black, non-Hispanic (24.4%); Hispanic (16.5%) and Asian, non-Hispanic (17.2%) adults.
• The percentage of adults with eczema is higher among women (9.5%) compared to men (5.7%).
• Black, non-Hispanic adults are more likely to have a food allergy (9.9%) compared to Hispanic (5.4%); White, non-Hispanic (6.4%), and Asian, non-Hispanic (5.5%) adults.

Highlights from the children’s report include—

• 1 in 5 children (20.6%) have a seasonal allergy, 12.7% have eczema, and 5.3% have a food allergy.
• Boys (5.9%) are more likely to have a food allergy than girls (4.7%).
• Children 6–11 years are most likely to have eczema (12.7%), followed by children 0–5 years (14.0%), and children 12–17 years (11.6%).

• Children living in rural areas (25.6%) were more likely to have a seasonal allergy compared with children living in urban areas (19.8%).

The reports are available on the CDC/NCHS website.