Insurance decisions can feel personal, but the broader numbers help explain why a review matters. This reference page collects a focused set of published figures that writers, families, and community organizations can use with their original sources.
Each statistic below names its source and the year it describes. These figures are useful context, not a recommendation for any individual household. Coverage needs, policy terms, and eligibility vary.
Life insurance
Life insurance coverage and protection-gap statistics
51%
of U.S. adults ages 18 to 75 said they owned life insurance in 2025.
This includes individual and group coverage reported by respondents. It is a measure of reported ownership, not a measure of whether each household has enough protection.
Source: LIMRA and Life Happens, 2025 Insurance Barometer Study40%
of U.S. adults said they need life insurance or more life insurance in 2025.
LIMRA and Life Happens estimate that this represents about 100 million adults with a perceived coverage gap.
Source: LIMRA and Life Happens, 2025 Insurance Barometer Study47%
of adults said their household would have trouble paying living expenses within six months if its primary wage earner died.
The 2025 survey finding speaks to the financial strain many households expect after the loss of income.
Source: LIMRA and Life Happens, 2025 Insurance Barometer Study55%
of working adults said they have life insurance coverage through their employer in 2025.
Workplace coverage can be valuable, but the amount, portability, and beneficiary details are worth reviewing alongside personal circumstances.
Source: LIMRA and Life Happens, 2025 Insurance Barometer StudyHealth coverage
Health insurance coverage context
92.0%
of people in the United States, or 305.2 million people, had health insurance for some or all of 2023.
The Census Bureau reports this figure from the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 202353.7%
of people had employment-based health coverage for some or all of 2023.
It was the most common health coverage type reported in the Census Bureau’s 2023 national estimates.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 20233.1%
of California children under age 19 were uninsured in 2024.
The Census Bureau’s American Community Survey estimate is for the civilian noninstitutionalized population and includes a reported margin of error of plus or minus 0.1 percentage points.
Source: U.S. Census Bureau, Health Insurance Coverage by State: 2023 and 2024Methodology and sources
How to use these figures
This page brings together published survey and government estimates. Life insurance figures come from the 2025 Insurance Barometer Study by LIMRA and Life Happens. Health insurance figures come from U.S. Census Bureau reports using the Current Population Survey Annual Social and Economic Supplement and the American Community Survey. The sources use different populations and methods, so figures should be quoted with their stated year and context.
The page is reviewed regularly. Source links lead to the original publication so readers can see definitions, methods, and any stated margin of error.