Health Statistics
Download this page [PDF - 904 KB]
Protecting the public's health involves making critical health decisions that can affect millions of people. So it is vital that decision makers have accurate, relevant health information. CDC takes the health pulse of the American people. We track threats, the leading causes of death, health inequalities, and access to care according to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, region, and other population characteristics. CDC provides the essential information for policymaking, biomedical and health services research, and other public health applications. Information can change the world, and CDC is dedicated to providing the highest quality health information to the U.S. and our public health partners around the world.
14%
About 14% of Americans under age 65 had no health insurance during the first half of 2014 — the lowest percentage since monitoring started.
73%
About 73% of American youth (ages 12 – 15) watched TV and used the computer more than the recommended 2 hours per day.
Fewer strokes, more injuries
Stroke dropped from 4th to 5th as a leading cause of death; accidents and unintentional injuries moved up to 4th from 5th in 2013.
1 in 6
About 1 in 6 people living in the U.S. are Hispanic (almost 57 million). By 2035, this could be nearly 1 in 4.
Key Accomplishments
- Implemented a comprehensive new system to speed processing of mortality files from states and territories. As a result, 3 years of new national mortality data were released in 2014.
- Released new data on physician supply and implementation of electronic health records systems in office-based physician practices.
- Released first data from the National Youth Fitness Survey, a 1-year initiative managed by the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.
- Released the first 2014 data showing impact of the Affordable Care Act on percentage of Americans who have health insurance via the National Health Interview Survey.
From Numbers to Need: A Health statistician's Mission in Africa
Dr. Joseph Woodring, a CDC senior medical officer, knows that public health is about more than the data.
In October 2014, Dr. Woodring deployed to Liberia for a month-long mission providing technical expertise in disease surveillance and epidemiology. He investigated an Ebola outbreak in one area where exposures to a single patient caused 65 confirmed or suspected Ebola infections among residents of three neighboring villages.
More than 70% of these patients died before they could be helped.
Dr. Woodring helped with active case finding, data management, and contact investigations to identify known and suspected exposures to Ebola patients. He taught more than 100 healthcare workers in remote clinics about Ebola transmission, infection prevention and control, and how to perform contact investigations and triage patients suspected of having Ebola.
According to Dr. Woodring, the experience in Liberia represented the culmination of his public health training. He learned the importance of working alongside national organizations to bring about social changes — such as doing safe burials and adopting key health messages — that are so crucial to stopping the spread of this deadly and formidable disease.
CDC’s Dr. Woodring helped train more than 100 healthcare workers 28 about Ebola transmission.
- Page last reviewed: August 14, 2015
- Page last updated: August 14, 2015
- Content source: