Asthma is common.

• 1 in 11 children have asthma.

• 1 in 12 adults have asthma.

• Black children are 2 times more likely to have asthma than white children.

Asthma is deadly.

• 1 in 5 children with asthma went to an emergency department for asthma-related care in 2009.

• In 2009, there were:

479,000 asthma-related hospitalizations.

1.9 million asthma-related emergency department visits.

8.9 million asthma-related doctor visits.

9 people die from asthma every day.

• Black Americans are 2 to 3 times more likely to die from asthma than any other racial or ethnic group.

Asthma is disruptive.

• Nearly 1 in 2 children with asthma report missing at least 1 day of school each year because of asthma.

• 3 in 5 people with asthma limit their physical activity.

• Nearly 1 in 3 adults with asthma report missing at least one day of work each year because of asthma.

Asthma is expensive.

• Asthma costs our Nation $56 billion per year.

• 1 in 4 black adults can't afford their asthma medicines.

• 1 in 5 Hispanic adults can't afford their asthma medicines.

Stephen B. Thacker CDC Library collection

United States