An Ailing Nation: Americans Are Getting Sicker Younger

The data below compare the share of adults with two or more chronic conditions in the early 1990s and in 2023, illustrating how the burden of multi-morbidity has shifted toward younger ages over time. The graphic also highlights the high prevalence of chronic disease among adults 60 and older and identifies the conditions most commonly contributing to this trend. Together, these findings help explain what it means to be “getting sicker younger” and why earlier onset matters for individuals, families, employers, and public programs.

Key Takeaways

• We’re compressing older-adult morbidity into midlife. The level of multi-morbidity seen in older adults decades ago is now common in people in their 50s, signaling earlier onset and longer duration of chronic disease.

• The retirement transition is increasingly a transition into high-need health. Most adults at or near retirement are managing multiple chronic conditions, raising the stakes for prevention, care coordination, and affordability.

• This is a cohort shift—not just individual aging. Midlife adults today experience more multi-morbidity than adults did at the same ages three decades ago, pointing to upstream drivers such as risk factors, environment, access, and behavior shaping health across generations.

About the Data

This analysis draws on nationally representative health survey and clinical data to examine trends in multi-morbidity—defined as having two or more chronic conditions—across age groups and over time. The comparison between the early 1990s and 2023 highlights a clear leftward shift in the burden of chronic disease, with higher prevalence appearing earlier in adulthood. The data also identify common chronic conditions contributing to this trend, including arthritis, COPD, diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, and depression.

Sources:

• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) – National Health Interview Survey