Allergy Statistics in the US

An allergy is an overactive response from the immune system after exposure to an allergen. If you have seasonal or environmental allergies, this can cause symptoms such as runny nose, nasal congestion, sneezing, nasal inflammation, and itchy and red eyes. If you have severe allergies to food, medications, insect or latex, it can lead to life-threatening symptoms that affect multiple body organs, including the skin, respiratory system, stomach and heart.

Several conditions fall under the umbrella of allergies, including allergic rhinitis (sometimes called “hay fever”), food allergies, anaphylaxis, allergic skin conditions, and allergic asthma.

The following allergy statistics are for the U.S. population.

Allergies Overall

It’s estimated that 80+ million people in the United States have allergies, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One out of 3 adults and one out of 4 children report having a seasonal allergy, eczema, or food allergy.

Allergies in Children

Allergies are a common issue for many children. One out of 4 children report having a seasonal allergy, eczema, or food allergy. Children of parents with allergies are more likely to develop allergies. If one parent has allergies 30-50% of their children two. And if both parents have allergies, 60-80% of their children have them.

Seasonal or Environmental Allergies

• 18.9% of children have seasonal allergies.
• Boys (20%) are more likely to have seasonal allergies compared to girls (17.7%).
• Seasonal allergies are more common in non-Hispanic Black (21.3%) and non-Hispanic White (20.4%) children. They are less common in Hispanic/Latino (15.3%) and non-Hispanic Asian (11.0%) children.
• 9.6% of children have experienced respiratory symptoms due to allergies in the previous 12 months
• Respiratory symptoms due to allergies are more prevalent in boys (11%) than girls (8.1%).
• Respiratory symptoms due to allergies are most common in children who are Black or of two or more races. 

Food Allergies 

• 5.8% of children(ages 17 and under) have a food allergy.
• Similar prevalence between boys (5.9%) and girls (5.8%).
• Most common in non-Hispanic Black children (7.6%).
• Food allergy diagnosis increases as children get older.
  • 4.4% in children aged 0–5 years
  • 5.8% in children aged 6–11
  • 7.1% in children aged 12–17
• The most common food allergies are peanut (2.2%), milk (1.9%), shellfish (1.3%), and tree nuts (1.2%).
• Of children with food allergies, 39.9% are allergic to multiple foods.
• 42.3% of children with food allergies have experienced a severe reaction.
• 39.9% of children with food allergies have experienced multiple severe reactions.
• 19% of children with food allergies report an emergency department visit due to food allergies in the previous year. (42% report at last one previous emergency department visit due to food allergies).
• 40.7% of children with food allergies have a current epinephrine auto-injector prescription.
• Between 2005 and 2014, there was a 124% increasein emergency department visits for food-related anaphylaxis.
• Food is the most common reason for hospital admissions for anaphylaxis worldwide, but mortality is lower than other causes of anaphylaxis.
• Children who have food allergies (compared to those without) are 2 to 4 times more likely to have other related conditions, such as asthma or other allergies.
• Childhood food allergies alone cost the United States $24.3 billion annually.
  • The per child cost is $4,148.
  • Direct medical costs are $4.3 billion.
  • Costs that families are responsible for totaled $20.5 billion, which includes doctor and emergency department visits, hospitalizations, out-of-pocket expenses, loss of job productivity, and specialty foods.

Allergic Skin Conditions (Or Skin Allergies) 

• 12.6% of children have experienced skin symptoms due to allergies in the previous 12 months.
• More prevalent in girls (12.9%) than boys (12.2%).
• Most common in children who are Black (18.2%) or two or more races (17.2%).

Allergies in Adults

Allergies are very common in adults. One out of 3 adults report having a seasonal allergy, eczema, or food allergy.

Seasonal Allergies

• 25.7% of adults have seasonal allergies.
• More prevalent in women (29.9%) than men (21.1%)
• Non-Hispanic Whites (28.4%) are most likely to have seasonal allergies followed by non-Hispanic Blacks (24%), Hispanics (18.8%) and non-Hispanic Asians (17%).
• 40-60 million Americanshave allergic rhinitis (hay fever)
• There are an average of 3.6 days missed of work days yearly due to allergic rhinitis.
• Allergic rhinitis is responsible for $18 billion in yearly healthcare costs.
• Over 80% of people with asthma have allergic rhinitis.

Food Allergies

• 6.2% to 10.8% of of U.S. adults have a food allergy.
• More women (7.8%) than men (4.6%) have a food allergy.
• Food allergies decreased with age with 6.6% of adults 18-44 having food allergy and down to 4.5% in people over age 75.
• Food allergies are most common in non-Hispanic Black adults (8.5%) followed by non-Hispanic Whites (6.2%), non-Hispanic Asians (4.5%) and Hispanics (4.4%).
• The most common foods to cause anaphylaxis include peanut, tree nuts, milk, egg, sesame seeds, fish, and shellfish.
• 45.3%of those with food allergies are allergic to multiple foods
• Among adults with food allergies, 51.1% have experienceda severe reaction or anaphylaxis
• One of the top three causes of anaphylaxis worldwide.

Other Allergies

Medication (drug) Allergies

• Medication allergies are one of the top three triggers of anaphylaxis worldwide  
• Medication allergies, however, only account for 10% of all adverse drug reactions.
• Medication allergies occur in 3-5% of hospitalized patients.
• The most common medications to trigger an adverse reaction are non-steroidal anti-inflammatories, or NSAIDs (7-12%), antibiotics (4%), and chemotherapy agents (2%).

Insect Allergies

• Prevalence is 5.0-7.5%of the population globally.
• In the United States, estimates of severe life-threatening systemic reactions from insect stings occur in 0.4-0.8% of children and 3% of adults.
• One of the top three sources of anaphylaxis worldwide.
• Insects that tend to trigger allergies include bees, wasps, hornets, yellow jackets, and fire ants.

Latex Allergies

Of high-risk patients (such as those undergoing surgical procedures), prevalence is 7.2%.

Within the general population, latex allergy prevalence is 4.3%.

Prevalent in 9.7% of healthcare workers, representing the most occupationally affected group.

Other occupational exposure may occur in those working in the rubber industry, research, housekeepers, gardeners, etc.