More Than Half of Americans Take Prescribed Meds Daily
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More than half of adults were regularly taking prescribed drugs in the United States in 2021, according to data from a Statista Consumer Insights survey. More than a third of respondents were taking prescribed medicine daily and one in five were taking prescribed medicine several times a day.
While the figure is higher for people ages 70+, with 83 percent of this group taking medication at least once per day, younger Americans were also taking medicine regularly. The survey found that 38 percent of adults aged 20-29 were taking prescribed medication at least once per day in 2021, while the figure climbed to 51 percent of 30-39 year olds and 58 percent for 40-49 years olds.
Dataset
Frequency | % of respondents |
---|---|
Yes, several times per day | 20 |
Yes, daily | 35 |
Yes, several times per week | 5 |
Yes, once per week | 3 |
Yes, less often | 2 |
No, only when needed / when sick | 18 |
No, I never take any medication | 16 |
Data sources
Note: 2,000 people were surveyed between July and August 2021. See source for further details.