How common is asthma? Worldwide facts and statistics

Breathing easily is something you probably take for granted. But if you’ve ever struggled to catch your breath—during a coughing fit, or after a fall that knocks the wind out of you—then you’ve gotten a small glimpse into what life is like with asthma. Loss of control over your own breathing is scary, and many people with asthma live with that fear every day.

Asthma exists on a spectrum. Its causes, symptoms, and severity can vary widely from one person to the next. Allergists and other experts continue to learn more about the causes and best treatments for this lung disease. If you or someone you love has asthma, it’s worth keeping your knowledge up to date. Here’s everything you should know about asthma in 2022.

What is asthma?

Asthma is a chronic disease that affects the tubes that carry air in and out of your lungs, making it harder to exhale. “With asthma, the airways get narrow and [you] take a breath in but feel like you can’t fully breathe out,” explains Fady Youssef, MD, a pulmonologist, internist, and critical care specialist at MemorialCare Long Beach Medical Center.

Per the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, some common asthma symptoms include:

Shortness of breath
Chest tightness
Wheezing
Coughing

Your healthcare provider will talk through your medical history and symptoms, then run tests to reach an asthma diagnosis. A common lung function test, called spirometry, measures how much air you exhale and the speed you exhale it. The test is generally reliable for people older than 5, especially if performed after an asthma-triggering activity. Children younger than 5 are typically diagnosed based on symptoms and medical history alone, according to the Mayo Clinic.

How common is asthma?

Asthma affects people around the world and across all age groups, genders, and ethnicities. These stats show how asthma is represented among several patient populations.

Asthma statistics worldwide

Recent data suggests that asthma affects more than 339 million people around the world. (The Global Asthma Report, 2018)
Asthma often runs in families; your chances of having asthma are higher if one or both of your parents has it, too. (WHO, 2021)
The United Kingdom has particularly high asthma rates out of European countries, and asthma-associated deaths increased by 33% between 2008 and 2018. (BMJ, 2019).

National asthma statistics

Roughly 1 in 13 Americans have asthma, which is about 25 million people. (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 2021)
Asthma frequently forces Americans to miss school days and time at work: about 14 million days per year for both kids and adults. (American College of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology, 2018)
Asthma is most prevalent in the Ohio valley and Northeast mid-Atlantic regions of the U.S., with poverty and air pollution rates driving the asthma population in both areas. (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 2021)

Asthma statistics by age

About 5 million American children have asthma. (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 2021)
Asthma is the most common chronic health condition for children. (American College of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology, 2018)
Adults are five times more likely to die from asthma than children, with people over 65 representing the group with the highest asthma-related deaths. (CDC, 2018)

Asthma statistics by race and ethnicity

Black, Hispanic, and Native Americans have the highest rates of asthma in the U.S., as well as the highest rates of hospitalizations and deaths related to asthma. (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 2020)
Black Americans are two times more likely to be hospitalized due to asthma than white Americans. (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 2020)
Hispanics living in Puerto Rico are three times more likely to die from asthma than Hispanics living in the U.S. (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 2020)
Native American children are 50% more likely to have asthma than white American children. (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 2020)

Asthma statistics by sex

Asthma is more likely to affect adult women than adult men, by nearly 4%—but in childhood, boys are more likely to be affected than girls. (Current Allergy and Asthma Reports, 2017)
Black women are more likely to die from asthma than white men. (Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 2020)
Women are more likely to be hospitalized for asthma than men. (Current Allergy and Asthma Reports, 2017)

Asthma and overall health

Asthma can easily reduce your quality of life if it’s not managed well. “If you have poorly controlled asthma, you’ll also have decreased activity and [will be more likely to live a] sedentary lifestyle, which can lead to things that actually worsen asthma, like obesity,” Dr. Youssef says. Additionally, asthma has the following impact on overall health:

Asthma can require urgent or emergency medical care. More than 1 million emergency department visits each year are for asthma-related concerns. (American College of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology, 2018)
Uncontrolled asthma can cause frequent hospitalizations. Severe asthma can be life threatening. It accounts for more than 400,000 hospitalizations each year in the U.S., and these inpatient stays often come with both physical and mental side effects. “Hospitalization treatment focuses on improving breathing [sometimes via intubation], bronchodilators, and IV steroids,” says Rashad Ramkissoon, MD, a primary care physician at Houston Methodist Willowbrook Hospital. “Hospitalizations and ICU stays for asthma could lead to depression once discharged.” (American College of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology, 2018)
Asthma causes other illnesses. Dr. Ramkissoon notes that people with asthma have an increased risk of severe pneumonia and vocal cord dysfunction, which can be caused by a poor response to the medical management of asthma. According to one 2020 study, asthma is also linked to rhinitis, acid reflux, obstructive sleep apnea, and psychiatric conditions such as anxiety and depression. (npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine, 2020).
Asthma can affect a child’s growth. Poorly controlled asthma slows growth velocity in children, says Dr. Ramkissoon, citing a 2019 review of studies which showed that more severe asthma often correlates with slower growth. (Jornal de Pediatria, 2019)

The cost of asthma

If uncontrolled, asthma can lead to a number of financial implications including missed time from work, insurance copays, charges related to urgent care and hospitalizations, and prescription drug costs.

When you combine missed workdays, medical expenses, and deaths, the American Thoracic Society (ATS) estimates that the U.S. spends about $80 billion on asthma-related costs each year. (American Thoracic Society, 2018)
Of that $80 billion, about $30 billion is spent on mortality-related costs. (American Thoracic Society, 2018)
On average, an asthma-related visit to the emergency room costs about $400, while a hospital admission for asthma costs about $5,000, with an average length of stay of three to four days. (American Health & Drug Benefits, 2021)
The average asthmatic in the U.S. spends more than $3,000 annually on their condition, with more than half of that amount going toward prescription drugs. (American Thoracic Society, 2018)
Keeping up with asthma treatment plans is expensive: a 2014 study found that people with asthma attacks receiving treatment had higher out-of-pocket expenses than those not receiving treatment, but not necessarily fewer asthma attacks. (The American Journal of Managed Care, 2014)

Causes of asthma

Asthma usually occurs when the immune system overreacts or has a heightened response to something in the lungs, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. That response inflames the airways, which makes it harder to breathe.

There are many causes of asthma, but researchers still aren’t certain what, exactly, initiates the airway inflammation associated with asthma in individual patients. They do know that genetics, allergies, infections, and environmental exposures are all risk factors that contribute to the rates of asthma in any population.

If you already have asthma, numerous things can cause an asthma attack or exacerbate your symptoms. These are called triggers, and they are different for everyone with asthma. Common asthma triggers include:

Allergens such as dust mites, mold, and pet dander
Environmental irritants like tobacco smoke (including secondhand smoke) and cockroaches
Health conditions such as viral infections or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Physical activity
Certain types of weather or weather changes

Preventing asthma attacks

The best way to prevent an asthma attack is to know your triggers and be sensitive to the early signs of inflammation or difficulty breathing. With this approach, you may be able to change your environment, adjust your medication, or even premedicate to avoid an attack.

A peak flow meter may be helpful in managing your asthma. “A peak flow meter measures how much air you can exhale in one minute,” explains Dr. Youssef, “which can tell you day to day how you’re doing.”

On a national level, there are multiple agencies, including the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Environmental Public Health Tracking Network, that are working to help implement important strategies to prevent people from developing asthma.

Within communities, local employers and environmental groups can also tackle some common causes of asthma, says Dr. Ramkissoon: “Smoking cessation programs offered by employers are key [and] air quality control is another [important] factor in preventing asthma.”

Controlling asthma

Per Dr. Youssef, there are three main categories of treatments which can help patients control asthma:

Short-acting asthma inhalers for well-controlled and/or intermittent asthma (Ventolin, Xopenex)
Long-acting inhalers used on a regular schedule for baseline control of symptoms (Advair, Symbicort)
Injectables or biologics, which target the specific causes of asthma in individuals (Xolair, Dupixent)

So which treatment—or combination of treatments—is right for you? It depends on what type of asthma you have and the severity of your condition. “Not all patients have the same form of asthma and different mechanisms cause it to happen, so understanding what type you have can help identify treatment,” Dr. Youssef says.

“The new advancements in asthma management have been [related to] figuring out the subtypes of asthma and working out the best way to target that specific patient,” Dr. Youssef adds. Injectable drugs and biologic medications have become an important part of the conversation around treating the unique causes of asthma in individuals. Work with your healthcare provider to determine the best asthma action plan for your symptoms.

RELATED: List of short-acting inhalers | List of long-acting inhalers

Asthma questions and answers

How common is asthma in the world?

Asthma affects more than 300 million people around the world and is more common in developed countries like the U.S., per a 2019 study published in the Annals of Global Health. According to that same study, Australia, Sweden, and the United Kingdom also have high asthma prevalence.

What percentage of the U.S. population has asthma?

As of 2020, the CDC reports that 8.4% of people over the age of 18 have asthma, and 5.8% of children have it.

Is asthma more prevalent today? Why or why not?

Yes. Although it’s hard to pinpoint any one cause—remember, there are several factors that can cause asthma in any one person—it’s clear that asthma rates have been rising.

Dr. Ramkissoon says there are many reasons why asthma is more prevalent today than in previous years, including an increase in airborne allergens, climate changes that trigger a rise in pollen levels, the energy-proofing of homes and workspaces, urban air pollution, and the overuse of antibiotics.

What is the death rate of asthma? Does asthma shorten life expectancy?

Uncontrolled asthma can shorten life expectancy. In 2020, the CDC reported the asthma death rate as 1.3 per 100,000 people (there were 4,145 total asthma-related deaths).

Dr. Ramkissoon notes that adults are more likely to die from asthma than children, and that one European study showed asthma in an otherwise healthy population shortened life expectancy by three years, similar to the effect of smoking. However, other studies suggest asthma doesn’t affect life expectancy at all.

Are people with asthma more affected by coronavirus? Can asthma patients get the COVID vaccine?

People with moderate to severe, or uncontrolled asthma are more likely to experience severe COVID-19 symptoms or be hospitalized. It’s safe and recommended to get a COVID-19 vaccine if you have asthma.

Asthma research

Asthma. World Health Organization, 2021.
AsthmaStats. Centers for Disease Control, 2018.
Asthma capitals 2021. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 2021.
Asthma costs the U.S. economy more than $80 billion per year. American Thoracic Society, 2018.
Asthma fact sheet. American College of Asthma, Allergy & Immunology, 2018.
Asthma facts and figures. Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America, 2021.
Executive summary. The Global Asthma Report, 2018.
Fuseini, Hubaida, et al. Mechanisms driving gender differences in asthma. (2017). Current Allergy and Asthma Reports.
Iacobucci, Gareth. Asthma deaths rise 33% in past decade in England and Wales. (2018). BMJ.
Inpatient treatment of asthma is costly. American Health and Drug Benefits, 2021.
Kaplan, Alan, et al. Impact of comorbid conditions on asthmatic adults and children. npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine.
Medical cost burdens among nonelderly adults with asthma. The American Journal of Managed Care, 2014.
Zhang, Linjie, et al. The impact of asthma and its treatment on growth: an evidence-based review. (2019). Jornal de Pediatria.

Asthma Chronic disease