John Elflein
Research expert covering health and health care
COPD in the U.S. - Statistics & Facts
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a lung disease that causes obstructed airflow in the lungs and results in breathing problems. COPD is used to describe such lung diseases as emphysema, chronic bronchitis, and severe asthma. Symptoms of COPD include increased shortness of breath, coughing, tightness in the chest, and wheezing. The most common cause for the disease is tobacco smoking, but air pollution and genetics can also play a role. Although there is no cure for COPD, it can be treated using inhaled medicines, and lifestyles changes such as not smoking can improve the quality of life of those who have been diagnosed. However, COPD is among the leading causes of death worldwide with those in low- and middle-income countries in Asia and Africa the most impacted.
What is the prevalence of COPD in the United States?
As of 2022, it was estimated that around six percent of adults in the United States had been diagnosed with COPD and the prevalence has remained relatively unchanged over the past decade. Rates of COPD in the U.S. are higher among women than men and American Indians and Alaska Natives are more impacted than any other race or ethnicity. Older adults are also much more likely to be diagnosed with COPD than younger people, with around 13 percent of those aged 75 years and older living with COPD in 2021, compared to just under three percent of those aged 18 to 44 years. As of 2022, the states with the highest percentage of adults with COPD were West Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky.Deaths due to COPD
COPD is a leading cause of death in the United States, but death rates have decreased over the past couple of decades. In 1999, the death rate for COPD in the U.S. was around 124 per 100,000 population, but by the year 2021 it had dropped to just under 96 deaths per 100,000. Interestingly, although the prevalence of COPD is higher among women than men in the United States, deaths rates from the disease are higher among men, perhaps reflecting an unwillingness to make lifestyle changes or to adhere to treatment. Smoking is the main cause of COPD with around 16 percent of current smokers diagnosed with COPD compared to under three percent of those who never smoked. However, stopping smoking can lower the risk of COPD and can improve symptoms if someone has already been diagnosed. As of 2021, around 28.2 million adults in the United States were current smokers.
