How many people lack health insurance in the United States?
Both the percentage and number of people without health insurance decreased in 2007. The percentage without health insurance was 15.3 percent in 2007, down from 15.8 percent in 2006, and the number of uninsured was 45.7 million, down from 47.0 million. The percentage of people covered by private health insurance was 67.5 percent, down from 67.9 percent in 2006. The percentage of people covered by employment-based health insurance decreased to 59.3 in 2007 from 59.7 percent in 2006. The number of people covered by employment-based health insurance, 177.4 million, was not statistically different from 2006. In 2007, the percentage of children under 18 years old without health insurance was 11.0 percent, lower than it was in 2006—11.7 percent. Source: Income, Poverty, and Health Insurance Coverage in the United States: 2007, U.S. Census Bureau, 2008.
