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United States Census Bureau | An official website of the United States Government How Age and Poverty Level Impact Health Insurance Coverage While the Share of Uninsured Remained at About 8% in 2023, Rates Varied by Age and Poverty Level September 10, 2024 Written by: Lisa Bunch, Halelujha Ketema, Katherine Keisler-Starkey The percentage of people without health insurance coverage in 2023 was 8%, not significantly higher than the 7.9% uninsured rate in 2022, according to a U.S. Census Bureau report released today. The report Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2023 [https://www.census.gov/library/publications/2024/demo/p60- 284.html] , reveals health insurance coverage rates and type between 2022 and 2023 for children under age 19, working-age adults ages 19 to 64, and adults age 65 and older. About a quarter of working-age adults in poverty were uninsured each year between 2020 and 2023. The family income-to-poverty ratio provides a measure of a family’s economic resources. This ratio compares family income to a poverty threshold based on the age and number of family members. People are classified as being in poverty if their family income is less than the poverty threshold. Family resources may determine the ability to afford private health insurance, and families below certain thresholds may qualify for public health insurance, such as Medicaid. Age may also factor into individuals’ access to health insurance coverage and type. Children under age 19 may have health coverage through a variety of sources, including a parent’s private plan or public programs like Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP). Adults ages 19 to 64 generally have lower coverage rates than those under age 19 and adults age 65 and older. That’s because their coverage is often directly tied to employment. They do not qualify for programs intended for children and only qualify for public programs under specific medical or income-level circumstances. Health Insurance Coverage by Age and Income-to-Poverty Ratio From 2020 to 2023, the share of children under 19 and working-age adults ages 19 to 64 with health coverage differed depending on income and poverty levels. Among those who lived below the poverty level: Most children under 19 and working-age adults had public insurance. In each year, over three-quarters of children under 19 and about half of working-age adults in poverty had public coverage. The uninsured rate of children under 19 in poverty ranged from 8.3% to 10.3% between 2020 and 2023. About a quarter of working-age adults in poverty were uninsured each year between 2020 and 2023. [/content/dam/Census/library/stories/2024/09/health-insurance-coverage/figure-1-health-insurance-coverage.jpg] [/content/dam/Census/library/stories/2024/09/health-insurance-coverage/figure-2-health-insurance-coverage.jpg] Among those living in families with incomes between 100% and 399% of poverty thresholds: More than half of children under 19 and working-age adults had private insurance. The percentage of children under 19 with public insurance rose from 42.3% in 2020 to 45% in 2023. About a quarter of working-age adults had public insurance from 2020 to 2023. The uninsured rate among children under 19 dipped between 2020 and 2022 from 7.0% to 6.1% and was 6.7% in 2023. The uninsured rate for working-age adults fell from 17.3% in 2020 to 15.2% in 2022, increasing to 16.1% in 2023. [/content/dam/Census/library/stories/2024/09/health-insurance-coverage/figure-3-health-insurance-coverage.jpg] [/content/dam/Census/library/stories/2024/09/health-insurance-coverage/figure-4-health-insurance-coverage.jpg] Among those in families with incomes in the highest income-to-poverty ratio group (at or above 400% of poverty): Over 90% of children under 19 and working-age adults had private insurance. The share of children under 19 with public insurance rose from 5.9% in 2020 to 6.8% in 2023. The share of working-age adults with public insurance rose from 5.2% in 2020 to 6% in 2023 while their uninsured rate fell from 4.5% to 4% during this period. [/content/dam/Census/library/stories/2024/09/health-insurance-coverage/figure-5-health-insurance-coverage.jpg] [/content/dam/Census/library/stories/2024/09/health-insurance-coverage/figure-6-health-insurance-coverage.jpg] Definitions and more information on confidentiality protection and sampling and nonsampling error are available in the technical documentation [/programs-surveys/cps/technical-documentation/complete.html] . All comparative statements in this article have undergone statistical testing and, unless otherwise noted, are statistically significant at the 10% significance level. Lisa Bunch and Halelujha Ketema are survey statisticians and Katherine Keisler-Starkey is an economist in the Census Bureau’s Health and Disability Statistics Branch. This article was filed under: Age [/library/stories.html?visual-list-fb55843e87:filters=Census:Topic/ThePopulation/Age] Data Services [/library/stories.html?visual-list-fb55843e87:filters=Census:Topic/census-operations/data-equity] Health [/library/stories.html?visual-list-fb55843e87:filters=Census:Topic/Health] Health Insurance [/library/stories.html?visual-list-fb55843e87:filters=Census:Topic/Health/health-insurance] Income and Poverty [/library/stories.html?visual-list-fb55843e87:filters=Census:Topic/Income-Poverty] Population [/library/stories.html?visual-list-fb55843e87:filters=Census:Topic/ThePopulation] Related Statistics America Counts: Stories About Health Insurance America Counts: Stories About Income & Poverty Explore various America Counts stories on the topic of health insurance. Explore various America Counts stories on the topic of income and poverty. [/topics/health/health-insurance/stories.html] [/topics/income-poverty/stories.html] Current Population Survey (CPS) The CPS is a monthly survey sponsored by the Bureau of Labor Statistics and conducted by the U.S. Census Bureau. [/programs-surveys/cps.html] Subscribe Our email newsletter is sent out on the day we publish a story. Get an alert directly in your inbox to read, share and blog about our newest stories. SIGN UP TODAY [HTTPS://… Contact our Public Information Office [/newsroom/about.html]  for media inquiries or interviews. Related America Counts Stories Income and Poverty Income and Poverty Median Household Income Increased in 2023 for First Time Since 2019 Supplemental Poverty Measure Below Official Poverty Rate in 32 States September 10, 2024 September 10, 2024 Non-Hispanic White households were the only group with higher incomes in 2023. Asian household median income remained the highest among all groups. Unlike the official poverty rate, the Supplemental Poverty Measure accounts for government assistance to low-income families. [https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2024/09/household- income-race-hispanic.html] [https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2024/09/supplement al-poverty-measure-states.html] Income and Poverty Supplemental Poverty Measure Rose in 2023 for Second Consecutive Year September 10, 2024 The SPM, which accounts for noncash government assistance, increased to 12.9% in 2023, higher than pre-pandemic levels. [https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2024/09/supplement al-poverty-measure.html] More stories Population Population States With High Median Ages May Not be as Uniformly Old as You Think An Aging Nation: U.S. Median Age Surpassed 39 in 2024 June 26, 2025 June 26, 2025 A state’s median age does not tell the whole story. Florida has the fifth highest median age yet also has counties younger than the national median. Median age rose in 85% of the nation’s 387 metro areas from 2020 to 2024 and was higher than the national median of 39.1 in almost half of metro areas. [https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2025/06/young-old- counties.html] [https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2025/06/metro-areas- median-age.html] Employment Housing Trends in Self-Employment Among Hispanic Workers Property Insurance Costs Can be High in Every U.S. Region June 18, 2025 June 10, 2025 Census Bureau data show that among younger and foreign- born workers, Hispanic workers are self-employed at higher rates than non-Hispanic workers. American Community Survey data show the price of property insurance varied widely across the nation, but every region had pockets of high cost. [https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2025/06/hispanic- self-employment.html] [https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2025/06/property- insurance.html] Page Last Revised - September 10, 2024