Report Reveals Prevalence of Allergic Conditions in U.S. Adults, Children in 2024

THURSDAY, Jan. 8, 2026 (HealthDay News) -- In 2024, 31.7 percent of adults and 29.5 percent of children had a diagnosed seasonal allergy, diagnosed eczema, or a diagnosed food allergy in the United States, according to two data briefs published online Jan. 8 by the National Center for Health Statistics.Lauren Bottoms-McClain, M.P.H., from the National Center for Health Statistics, and colleagues examined data from the National Health Interview Survey to describe the prevalence of diagnosed allergic conditions in adults in the United States in 2024. The researchers found that 31.7 percent of adults had a diagnosed seasonal allergy, diagnosed eczema, or a diagnosed food allergy in 2024. Compared with those in metropolitan areas, the percentage of adults with a diagnosed seasonal allergy was higher among those living in nonmetropolitan areas. Compared with men, women were more likely to have diagnosed eczema (9.5 versus 5.7 percent).Amanda E. Ng, Ph.D., M.P.H., also from the National Center for Health Statistics, and colleagues examined the prevalence of allergic conditions in children ages 0 to 17 years in the United States in 2024. The researchers found that diagnosed seasonal allergies were the most common allergies in children in 2024 (20.6 percent), followed by diagnosed eczema and diagnosed food allergies (12.7 and 5.3 percent, respectively). Compared with children living in metropolitan areas, those living in nonmetropolitan areas were more likely to have a diagnosed seasonal allergy. The percentage of children with eczema was similar for boys and girls (12.2 and 13.3 percent, respectively)."In 2024, 29.5 percent of all children had one or more of the three diagnosed allergic conditions examined in this report: seasonal allergy, eczema, and food allergy," Ng and colleagues write.Data Brief 1Data Brief 2.Sign up for our weekly HealthDay newsletter

Report Reveals Prevalence of Allergic Conditions in U.S. Adults, Children in 2024

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