Top 10 Most Common Chronic Diseases in the U.S. in 2025
Most Common Chronic Conditions in U.S. Adults: CDC Prevalence Ranking
This ranking orders selected chronic diseases and chronic conditions by adult prevalence in the CDC Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). The latest comparable national snapshot used here is 2023, published by CDC Preventing Chronic Disease in 2025.
CDC defines chronic diseases as conditions that last at least one year and require ongoing medical attention, limit activities of daily living, or both. The ranking measures how common each selected condition is among U.S. adults, not how deadly, costly or disabling it is. High cholesterol and high blood pressure therefore rank above cancer and heart disease because they are reported by a larger share of adults.
Key figures from the CDC chronic-condition snapshot
The estimate represents more than 194 million U.S. adults in the 2023 BRFSS analysis.
Multiple chronic conditions are central to the burden because cardiometabolic, respiratory, mental health and pain-related conditions often overlap.
High cholesterol ranks first among the individual selected conditions in the all-adult CDC table.
Among young adults, depression was the second most frequently reported selected condition after obesity.
What stands out at the top of the ranking
The upper part of the ranking is dominated by cardiometabolic risk conditions. High cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity each affect roughly one-third of adults in this BRFSS snapshot. They are common conditions on their own and also increase the risk of later complications such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke, kidney disease and some cancers.
The middle of the Top 10 shows a broader health burden. Arthritis reflects chronic pain and mobility limitations, while depression shows that mental health is a major part of the chronic-condition profile. Lower-ranked conditions such as cancer, heart disease and COPD are less prevalent in this measure, but they can involve intensive treatment, high mortality risk and long-term care needs.
Top 10 most common chronic diseases and conditions in U.S. adults
The table ranks the 10 highest-prevalence individual conditions from the CDC all-adult BRFSS table. Aggregate measures such as “one or more chronic conditions” and “multiple chronic conditions” are shown in the summary but are not ranked as individual diseases.
| Rank | Condition | Prevalence | Interpretation |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | High cholesterol | 35.3% | The most frequently reported selected condition and a major cardiovascular risk factor. |
| 2 | High blood pressure | 34.5% | A widespread chronic risk condition linked to heart disease, stroke and kidney disease. |
| 3 | Obesity | 32.7% | BRFSS calculates obesity from self-reported height and weight, so the estimate differs from measured NHANES obesity estimates. |
| 4 | Arthritis | 25.4% | A major source of chronic pain, mobility limitation and disability, especially at older ages. |
| 5 | Depression | 20.2% | A common chronic mental health condition that can affect quality of life, work, treatment adherence and care use. |
| 6 | Diabetes | 12.1% | A high-burden metabolic disease associated with cardiovascular, kidney, eye and nerve complications. |
| 7 | Current asthma | 9.8% | A chronic respiratory condition that can limit activity and often requires ongoing control. |
| 8 | Cancer, excluding skin cancer | 8.0% | Less prevalent than several risk conditions, but often associated with high treatment intensity and survivorship needs. |
| 9 | Heart disease | 6.5% | Less common than high blood pressure or high cholesterol, but more directly tied to acute events and mortality. |
| 10 | COPD | 6.2% | A chronic lung disease group that includes emphysema and chronic bronchitis and is often linked to smoking history. |
Source: CDC Preventing Chronic Disease analysis of BRFSS 2013–2023. Values are 2023 adult prevalence estimates, rounded to one decimal point.
Chart: prevalence gap across the Top 10 conditions
The chart highlights the steep drop from the three most common cardiometabolic conditions to the lower end of the Top 10. Cancer, heart disease and COPD have lower adult prevalence in this survey measure, but prevalence alone does not describe clinical severity.
Methodology
Ranking formula and data year
The ranking sorts selected individual chronic conditions by 2023 adult prevalence in the CDC BRFSS analysis. The formula is straightforward: conditions are ordered from the highest reported percent of adults to the lowest. Ties would be resolved by the unrounded CDC estimate if needed.
The 2023 BRFSS snapshot is used because it is the latest comparable CDC table that evaluates the selected conditions in one survey framework. That is more consistent than combining separate disease-specific reports that use different age bases, measurement methods or data years.
Source selection and processing
The main source is the CDC Preventing Chronic Disease article on BRFSS 2013–2023 trends among U.S. adults. Values were rounded to one decimal point. The “change since 2013” column in the detailed table uses percentage-point differences from the same CDC trend table.
BRFSS is a large telephone survey of the noninstitutionalized adult population. Several measures rely on self-reported diagnoses. Obesity is calculated from self-reported height and weight, not measured height and weight.
Obesity measurement note: BRFSS reports 32.7% obesity among adults aged 18 and older in 2023 using self-reported height and weight. CDC NCHS reports 40.3% obesity among adults aged 20 and older for August 2021–August 2023 using measured height and weight in NHANES. The two estimates answer related but not identical questions.
Percentages in this ranking cannot be added together because one adult can report more than one condition. Prevalence also should not be interpreted as a direct measure of mortality, health care spending, hospitalization risk or disability burden.
Selected chronic conditions: prevalence and 10-year change
The detailed table keeps the Top 10 visible and adds the two selected CDC conditions that fall below the Top 10 cutoff. Among the listed conditions, the largest 2013–2023 increases were reported for obesity, depression, high blood pressure and diabetes. Heart disease and COPD were slightly lower in 2023 than in 2013 in the all-adult trend table.
| Rank | Condition | 2023 prevalence | Change since 2013 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | High cholesterol | 35.3% | 0.0 pp |
| 2 | High blood pressure | 34.5% | +1.9 pp |
| 3 | Obesity | 32.7% | +4.4 pp |
| 4 | Arthritis | 25.4% | +0.4 pp |
| 5 | Depression | 20.2% | +2.4 pp |
| 6 | Diabetes | 12.1% | +1.8 pp |
| 7 | Current asthma | 9.8% | +0.9 pp |
| 8 | Cancer, excluding skin cancer | 8.0% | +1.5 pp |
| 9 | Heart disease | 6.5% | −0.2 pp |
| 10 | COPD | 6.2% | −0.3 pp |
| 11 | Chronic kidney disease | 3.8% | +1.2 pp |
| 12 | Stroke | 3.4% | +0.5 pp |
Source: CDC Preventing Chronic Disease, BRFSS 2013–2023. “pp” means percentage points. Cancer excludes skin cancer in the CDC table.
Insights from the chronic-condition ranking
- The top tier is risk-heavy. High cholesterol, high blood pressure and obesity rank above diabetes, heart disease and cancer because prevalence measures how many adults report a condition, not how severe the condition is.
- The middle of the ranking reflects daily-life burden. Arthritis and depression may not always lead mortality rankings, but they can strongly affect mobility, sleep, work capacity, treatment adherence and quality of life.
- Lower prevalence does not mean low seriousness. Cancer, heart disease, COPD, chronic kidney disease and stroke affect smaller shares of adults in this survey measure, yet they can involve intensive treatment, disability risk and long-term care needs.
- Age changes the condition mix. Older adults are more likely to report high blood pressure, high cholesterol and arthritis. Among adults aged 18–34, obesity and depression are especially prominent.
- Multiple conditions are the practical challenge. More than half of adults reported two or more selected chronic conditions, so prevention and care often need to address clusters of disease rather than isolated diagnoses.
- Prevention extends beyond clinical care. Nutrition, physical activity, tobacco exposure, alcohol use, built environment, affordability of care and economic stability can influence several conditions near the top of the ranking.
What the ranking means for readers, employers and health planners
For individuals and families, the ranking separates two different ideas: how common a condition is and how dangerous it may be. High blood pressure can remain silent for years, but it still matters because it raises risk across several disease pathways. A less common diagnosis such as cancer may require more intensive treatment even though it ranks lower by prevalence.
For employers and insurers, the data point to chronic-condition management as both a health and workforce issue. Depression, arthritis, obesity, diabetes and respiratory disease can affect absenteeism, productivity, medication adherence and disability claims. Programs focused on one diagnosis may miss the overlap experienced by adults with multiple conditions.
For public health agencies and policy analysts, the findings support earlier intervention. Chronic conditions are already widespread in young and midlife adults, not only among seniors. That shifts attention toward prevention, screening, primary care access, healthier food and activity environments, tobacco prevention and long-term management before complications accumulate.
FAQ
What is the most common chronic condition among U.S. adults?
Among the selected conditions in the CDC BRFSS 2023 all-adult table, high cholesterol is the most commonly reported condition at 35.3%, followed by high blood pressure at 34.5% and obesity at 32.7%.
Is this a measured 2026 ranking?
No. It is a 2026 edition based on the latest comparable CDC evidence available for these selected conditions. The main ranking uses 2023 BRFSS adult prevalence estimates published in a 2025 CDC Preventing Chronic Disease analysis.
Why are high cholesterol and high blood pressure ranked above cancer?
The ranking is based on prevalence, not mortality. High cholesterol and high blood pressure affect a larger share of adults in this survey measure. Cancer is less common by adult prevalence in the selected-condition table, but it can carry high treatment intensity and mortality risk depending on type and stage.
Why does obesity have different numbers in different CDC sources?
BRFSS uses self-reported height and weight and covers adults aged 18 and older. NHANES uses measured height and weight and covers adults aged 20 and older in the obesity report. Measured surveys often produce higher obesity estimates than self-reported surveys, so the two figures should not be merged without explaining the different methods and age bases.
Can one adult be counted in more than one condition?
Yes. A person with obesity, high blood pressure and diabetes can be counted in each relevant condition. That is why the percentages cannot be added together. The separate multimorbidity measure shows that 51.4% of adults reported two or more selected chronic conditions.
Why are chronic kidney disease and stroke not in the Top 10?
They are serious conditions, but their reported adult prevalence in the selected BRFSS table was below the Top 10 cutoff. In 2023, chronic kidney disease was 3.8% and stroke was 3.4% among all adults in the CDC table.
Does prevalence show which disease is most deadly?
No. Prevalence shows how widely a condition is present in the adult population. Mortality rankings, hospitalization rankings, disability rankings and cost rankings answer different questions and may produce a different order.
Sources
-
CDC — About Chronic Diseases
Used for the definition of chronic diseases and national context on chronic disease burden.
https://www.cdc.gov/chronic-disease/about/index.html -
CDC Preventing Chronic Disease — Trends in Multiple Chronic Conditions Among US Adults, BRFSS 2013–2023
Main source for the ranking, 2023 prevalence values, 2013–2023 changes and multiple-chronic-condition estimates.
https://www.cdc.gov/pcd/issues/2025/24_0539.htm -
CDC NCHS Data Brief No. 508 — Obesity and Severe Obesity Prevalence in Adults
Used to explain the measured NHANES obesity estimate for August 2021–August 2023 and why it differs from BRFSS self-reported obesity.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/products/databriefs/db508.htm -
CDC NCHS Health E-Stats — Overweight, Obesity and Severe Obesity Trends
Used for measured-height-and-weight obesity trend context and the 2026 NCHS update.
https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/hestat/hestat111.htm
