Health Insurance Coverage Steady at 8% Uninsured in 2025

In 2025, about 8% of Americans remained without health insurance, according to a report from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The survey provides insight into the uninsured rate, which has maintained a significant drop from previous years, despite potential changes on the horizon due to policy shifts.

The Trump administration’s major alterations to Medicaid, which were enacted last year, may result in 10 million more uninsured people over the next decade. This insight comes from estimates by the Congressional Budget Office. Additionally, the loss of certain Affordable Care Act subsidies this year, which previously helped reduce premium costs, contributes to decreased participation in marketplace health plans. The nonprofit healthcare research organization KFF anticipates that 5 million fewer will enroll in these plans in 2026 compared to 2025.

Several government programs track insurance coverage among Americans, each using different methodologies that can yield varied results. David Howard, a professor at Emory University, highlights that many researchers view the U.S. Census Bureau as the primary source. The CDC’s data aligns closely with those findings, representing a complete dataset for 2025, the first full year of President Donald Trump’s second term.

The survey indicates a consistent insured and uninsured share compared to the previous year, though there was an increase of 800,000 uninsured individuals, including 300,000 children. The overall growth in the U.S. population contributes to this number.

There may be an increase in insurance coverage among Hispanic Americans. This change could partly result from immigration policies, where uninsured members may have left the country.

Most Americans over 65 have health coverage through Medicare. Those younger than 65 often rely on a variety of public and private insurance options. Historically, the uninsured rate for this group increased from 12% in 1980 to over 18% in 2010, before decreasing due to the Affordable Care Act’s reforms. By 2016, it had nearly reached 10%, only to rise slightly during Trump’s first administration. Government policies during the COVID-19 pandemic helped reduce uninsured rates, achieving a historical low of under 9% by 2023.

Support for this reporting comes from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Department of Science Education and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Notably, the Associated Press holds sole responsibility for the content.