Statistics · Updated November 9, 2026

Flu Statistics 2026

Includes CDC's 2026-27 season estimates to October 31, 2026, and final 2025-26 flu shot data

  • 88statistics
  • 34sources from 7 publishers
  • Checkedevery figure against its original source
  • FreeCSV download and ready-made citations

Compiled by the BestRatedDocs research desk from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) and the World Health Organization (WHO) data.

Flu killed an estimated 45,000 people in the United States in the 2024-25 season, and CDC's yearly estimates since 2010 range from 6,300 to 52,000 deaths. For the 2025-26 season, CDC estimated at least 24,000 deaths and 32 million illnesses. Each figure below names who measured it, what it counts and the season.

Download all data (CSV)Download CSV Cite this page

Key findings

  1. 1,700,000

    As of the week ending October 31, 2026, CDC estimated at least 1,700,000 flu illnesses, 25,000 hospitalizations and 1,400 deaths in the United States so far in the 2026-27 season, in its FluView report published November 6, 2026.

    CDC, FluView Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report, Week 43 (ending October 31, 2026), published November 6, 2026 · 2026-27 season (to October 31, 2026) data

    Details
  2. 32 million

    CDC estimated that there were at least 32 million flu illnesses in the United States during the 2025-26 season, in its final in-season estimate.

    CDC, FluView Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report, Week 20 (ending May 23, 2026) · 2025-26 season data

    Details
  3. 6,300 to 52,000

    CDC estimates that flu caused from 6,300 to 52,000 deaths a year in the United States between 2010 and 2025.

    CDC, About Estimated Flu Burden · 2010-11 to 2024-25 seasons data

    Details
  4. 45,000

    CDC estimates there were 51 million flu illnesses, 23 million medical visits, 710,000 hospitalizations and 45,000 deaths in the United States during the 2024-25 season, which CDC classified as high severity.

    CDC, 2024-2025 Influenza Season Summary: Severity, Disease Burden, and Burden Prevented · 2024-25 season data

    Details
  5. 8 percent

    On average, about 8 percent of the US population gets sick from flu each season, with a range of 3 percent to 11 percent depending on the season, according to a 2018 CDC study cited by CDC.

    CDC, About Influenza · 2010-11 to 2015-16 seasons data

    Details
  6. 298

    CDC's pediatric mortality surveillance counts 298 flu-associated deaths among U.S. children under 18 in the 2024-25 season, the highest season total since reporting began in 2004-05 (BestRatedDocs calculation from CDC's season totals).

    CDC FluView Interactive, Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality · 2024-25 season data

    Details
  7. 89%

    Of the children who died of flu in the 2024-25 season and were old enough to be vaccinated, 89% were not fully vaccinated, according to CDC (based on 208 children with known vaccination status).

    CDC, MMWR: Influenza-Associated Pediatric Deaths, United States, 2024-25 Influenza Season (Reinhart et al.) · 2024-25 season data

    Details
  8. 43.8%

    CDC estimates that 43.8% of people in the United States aged 6 months and older got a flu vaccine in the 2025-26 season, unchanged from the 2024-25 season.

    CDC FluVaxView, Flu Vaccination Coverage, United States, 2025-26 Influenza Season · 2025-26 season data

    Details
  9. 12,000

    CDC estimates that flu vaccination prevented 12,000 flu-related deaths in the United States during the 2024-25 season.

    CDC, 2024-2025 Influenza Season Summary: Severity, Disease Burden, and Burden Prevented · 2024-25 season data

    Details
  10. 290,000 to 650,000

    Seasonal flu causes an estimated 290,000 to 650,000 respiratory deaths worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization.

    World Health Organization (WHO), Influenza (seasonal) fact sheet · Annual estimate data

    Details
  11. 74

    There have been 74 reported human cases of A(H5) bird flu in the United States since February 2024, according to the CDC (as of November 5, 2026).

    CDC, A(H5) Bird Flu: Current Situation (updated November 5, 2026) · February 2024 to November 2026 data

    Details

How Bad Is the 2026-27 Flu Season So Far?

As of the week ending October 31, 2026, CDC estimated at least 1,700,000 flu illnesses and 1,400 deaths in the new season. Activity is rising and is higher than usual for the time of year, and so far the season is mostly A(H1N1). CDC's preliminary severity assessment rated it low for all ages at that point.

These are early, cumulative minimums from CDC's weekly FluView report and will rise every week until the season ends. CDC notes that an earlier rise in activity does not necessarily mean a higher peak or a more severe season. We update this section as new weekly reports come out.

How Many People Got the Flu in the 2025-26 Season?

CDC's last in-season estimate for 2025-26, published in May 2026, put the season at no fewer than 32 million illnesses and 24,000 deaths. It was an A(H3N2) season driven largely by a drifted strain called subclade K.

CDC's in-season numbers are cumulative minimums ('at least') and are not directly comparable with the end-of-season point estimates for past seasons. CDC stopped weekly burden estimates for 2025-26 in late spring, as it does every year, and publishes a full-season estimate later.

Flu Illnesses, Hospitalizations and Deaths by Year

CDC's modeled estimates show how much flu seasons vary: from 9.4 million to 51 million illnesses a year since 2010. The 2024-25 season had the most illnesses of any season CDC has estimated since 2010-11 and matched 2017-18 for hospitalizations.

Estimated flu deaths in the United States by season, 2010-11 to 2024-25 (number of deaths, CDC rounded point estimates; 2020-21 not estimated)
0 20K 40K 60K 2010-11 38,000 2013-14 2016-17 52,000 2019-20 2024-25 45,000 0 20K 40K 60K 2010-11 38,000 2014-15 52,000 2018-19 2024-25 45,000

Source: CDC, Flu Disease Burden: Past Seasons, rounded estimates (all ages) CSV. Chart: BestRatedDocs, free to reuse with a link to this page.

Show chart data
2010-1138,000
2011-1213,000
2012-1343,000
2013-1438,000
2014-1551,000
2015-1622,000
2016-1738,000
2017-1852,000
2018-1932,000
2019-2026,000
2021-226,300
2022-2325,000
2023-2426,000
2024-2545,000
Estimated US flu burden by season, all ages, 2010-11 to 2024-25 (CDC rounded point estimates; deaths range is the 95% uncertainty interval)
SeasonIllnessesMedical visitsHospitalizationsDeathsDeaths range
2010-1123 million11 million310,00038,00022,000 to 150,000
2011-129.4 million4.4 million140,00013,0007,200 to 36,000
2012-1334 million16 million580,00043,00025,000 to 120,000
2013-1430 million13 million350,00038,00023,000 to 100,000
2014-1530 million14 million590,00051,00034,000 to 100,000
2015-1624 million11 million280,00022,00017,000 to 38,000
2016-1729 million14 million500,00038,00027,000 to 61,000
2017-1841 million19 million710,00052,00036,000 to 99,000
2018-1929 million14 million400,00032,00021,000 to 79,000
2019-2034 million15 million380,00026,00018,000 to 88,000
2020-21Not estimatedNot estimatedNot estimatedNot estimatedNot estimated
2021-2211 million5.1 million120,0006,3004,000 to 16,000
2022-2329 million13 million340,00025,00018,000 to 48,000
2023-2437 million17 million430,00026,00022,000 to 61,000
2024-2551 million23 million710,00045,00038,000 to 110,000

Source: CDC, Flu Disease Burden: Past Seasons, rounded estimates (all ages) CSV

These are CDC model estimates with 95% uncertainty intervals, not counts. Estimates for 2024-25 are still preliminary and will change as more data arrive. CDC did not estimate the 2020-21 season because flu activity was minimal.

What Percentage of People Get the Flu Each Year?

On average about 8 percent of Americans get sick with flu each season, with a range of 3 to 11 percent. Children are the most likely to catch it.

The 8 percent average comes from a 2018 CDC study of the 2010-11 to 2015-16 seasons and counts symptomatic illness only, including people who never saw a doctor. Our 2024-25 percentages are calculated from CDC's modeled illness rates for a single, unusually large season.

Who Dies From the Flu? Deaths and Hospitalizations by Age

Older adults account for most flu deaths in nearly every season. In the 2024-25 season, people 65 and older made up 71% of CDC's estimated flu deaths.

Estimated flu deaths in the United States by age group, 2024-25 season (number of deaths, CDC preliminary point estimates)
  • Ages 0-4 433
  • Ages 5-17 357
  • Ages 18-49 2,929
  • Ages 50-64 9,485
  • Ages 65+ 31,734

Source: CDC, Flu Disease Burden: Past Seasons, estimates by age group CSV. Chart: BestRatedDocs, free to reuse with a link to this page.

Show chart data
Ages 0-4433
Ages 5-17357
Ages 18-492,929
Ages 50-649,485
Ages 65+31,734

Age figures here are CDC model estimates for the 2024-25 season, the newest season with an age breakdown; they are still preliminary. Children rarely die of flu compared with older adults, but CDC also tracks reported child deaths separately. CDC has published two ranges for the 65-and-older share of flu deaths. Its current page on flu and people 65 and older (updated September 2026) says 70 to 85 percent in recent US seasons, and that is the range we use. An archived CDC page on the 2009 H1N1 pandemic (last updated 2019) says about 70 to 90 percent for typical seasonal epidemics, an older and wider range written to contrast with the pandemic. The 2024-25 estimate of 71% falls inside both.

How Many Children Die From the Flu?

Flu deaths in children under 18 have been nationally notifiable in the United States since 2004, so CDC counts every lab-confirmed case reported by state health departments. The 2024-25 season set the record, with 298 deaths reported so far.

Reported flu-associated deaths among children under 18 in the United States, by flu season, 2004-05 to 2025-26 (number of deaths). Flu activity was minimal in the 2020-21 season.
0 100 200 300 400 2004-05 47 2008-09 2012-13 2016-17 2020-21 298 2025-26 202 0 100 200 300 400 2004-05 47 2010-11 2016-17 298 2025-26 202

Source: CDC FluView Interactive, Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality (data as of week ending October 31, 2026). Chart: BestRatedDocs, free to reuse with a link to this page.

Show chart data
2004-0547
2005-0646
2006-0777
2007-0888
2008-09137
2009-10288
2010-11124
2011-1237
2012-13171
2013-14111
2014-15148
2015-1695
2016-17110
2017-18188
2018-19145
2019-20199
2020-211
2021-2249
2022-23187
2023-24211
2024-25298
2025-26202

Reported deaths are a count of lab-confirmed cases and are known to undercount, because not every child who dies is tested for flu. CDC's modeled estimate for 2024-25 (790 deaths) is a separate measure and should not be compared directly with the reported counts. Counts for recent seasons keep rising as late reports arrive: the 2024-25 total was 280 in September 2025, 297 in April 2026 and 298 in October 2026, which is now above the 288 deaths recorded in the 2009-10 pandemic season.

How Many Flu Deaths Are on Death Certificates?

Death certificates recorded 6,512 influenza deaths and 48,139 influenza and pneumonia deaths in the United States in 2024. Rates vary more than threefold between states.

Influenza and pneumonia deaths by state, 2024 (age-adjusted death rate per 100,000 and number of deaths, NCHS)
StateDeath rate per 100,000Deaths
Alabama14.5956
Alaska10.470
Arizona101,009
Arkansas17.1670
California11.65,535
Colorado5.9381
Connecticut13.9716
Delaware11.8173
District of Columbia6.848
Florida8.53,093
Georgia10.41,297
Hawaii10.6250
Idaho7.3171
Illinois11.81,936
Indiana11.2953
Iowa12533
Kansas12.3459
Kentucky13.1740
Louisiana11.4634
Maine10.1222
Maryland9.3727
Massachusetts11.11,058
Michigan10.51,405
Minnesota6.6490
Mississippi19.1701
Missouri12.91,045
Montana8.9135
Nebraska12.1296
Nevada13.9556
New Hampshire8.6177
New Jersey101,235
New Mexico14.2390
New York154,153
North Carolina12.61,704
North Dakota9.6101
Ohio11.51,790
Oklahoma14.1679
Oregon6.1346
Pennsylvania12.22,289
Rhode Island9141
South Carolina9.4665
South Dakota13.4160
Tennessee15.51,360
Texas10.63,326
Utah10.1299
Vermont8.681
Virginia9.61,052
Washington8.1762
West Virginia18.4481
Wisconsin7.9616
Wyoming1073

Source: CDC NCHS, Stats of the States: Influenza and Pneumonia Mortality

These are counts of death certificates (calendar year 2024, NCHS), a different measure from CDC's modeled seasonal estimates, and the two should not be compared directly. CDC says flu is underreported on death certificates: 'patients aren't always tested for seasonal influenza virus infection, particularly older adults who are at greatest risk of seasonal flu complications and death,' and 'only counting deaths where flu was recorded on a death certificate would be a gross underestimation of flu's true impact.' Most influenza and pneumonia deaths are from pneumonia. State rates are age-adjusted; the national FastStats rate is deaths per 100,000 population.

What Percentage of People Get a Flu Shot?

Fewer than half of Americans got a flu vaccine in the 2025-26 season. Coverage among children rose slightly for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic but remains far below pre-pandemic levels, and every group is below the Healthy People 2030 target of 70%.

Flu vaccination coverage among U.S. children 6 months through 17 years, by season, 2015-16 to 2025-26 (percent receiving at least one dose, end-of-May estimate).
0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 2015-16 59.3% 2017-18 2019-20 2021-22 2023-24 2025-26 51.4% 0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 2015-16 59.3% 2018-19 2021-22 2025-26 51.4%

Source: CDC, Influenza Vaccination Coverage for All Ages (6+ Months), data.cdc.gov (NIS-Flu). Chart: BestRatedDocs, free to reuse with a link to this page.

Show chart data
2015-1659.3%
2016-1759%
2017-1857.8%
2018-1962.5%
2019-2063.7%
2020-2158.6%
2021-2257.8%
2022-2357.4%
2023-2455.4%
2024-2550.2%
2025-2651.4%
Flu vaccination coverage by age group, United States, 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons (percent vaccinated, final estimates)
Age group2024-252025-26
Everyone 6 months and older43.8%43.8%
Children 6 months to 17 years50.2%51.4%
6 months to 4 years57.5%60.0%
5 to 12 years51.3%52.7%
13 to 17 years43.4%43.3%
Adults 18 and older41.9%41.6%
18 to 49 years31.2%31.4%
50 to 64 years42.1%40.1%
65 and older63.8%64.4%

Source: CDC, Influenza Vaccination Coverage for All Ages (6+ Months), data.cdc.gov (NIS-Flu and BRFSS)

Final coverage comes from two surveys: the National Immunization Survey-Flu for children (parent report) and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for adults (self-report). CDC notes that the children's survey has overestimated coverage by roughly 6 to 10 percentage points. Final estimates differ from the in-season weekly dashboard, which uses a different adult survey and method. Doses distributed count vaccine shipped, not people vaccinated.

How Effective Is the Flu Vaccine?

In CDC's vaccine effectiveness studies, the flu vaccine has cut the risk of a flu-related doctor visit by between 19% and 60% in each season since 2009-10. How well it works depends on how closely the vaccine matches the viruses that circulate.

Adjusted flu vaccine effectiveness against medically attended flu by season, United States, 2009-10 to 2025-26 (percent, with 95% confidence interval)
SeasonAdjusted VE95% CI
2009-1056%23 to 75
2010-1160%53 to 66
2011-1247%36 to 56
2012-1349%43 to 55
2013-1452%44 to 59
2014-1519%10 to 27
2015-1648%41 to 55
2016-1740%32 to 46
2017-1838%31 to 43
2018-1929%21 to 35
2019-2039%32 to 44
2020-21Not estimatedn/a
2021-2236%21 to 48
2022-2330%-9 to 54
2023-2444%36 to 51
2024-25 (preliminary)56%54 to 58
2025-26 (preliminary)36%33 to 39

Source: CDC, Past Seasons' Vaccine Effectiveness Estimates

Vaccine effectiveness (VE) is the percentage reduction in risk of a lab-confirmed flu outcome among vaccinated people compared with unvaccinated people, measured with a test-negative design. The season table shows VE against medically attended flu (outpatient, urgent care and emergency department visits) from CDC's networks; VE against hospitalization is reported separately. Estimates for 2024-25 and 2025-26 are preliminary, and VE was not estimated for 2020-21 because almost no flu circulated.

How Many Illnesses Does the Flu Vaccine Prevent?

CDC models how much flu vaccination prevented each season from that season's flu burden, vaccine coverage and vaccine effectiveness. In the high-severity 2024-25 season, the newest with an estimate, vaccination prevented an estimated 10 million illnesses and 12,000 deaths.

Estimated flu burden that occurred and that was prevented by vaccination, United States, 2024-25 season (CDC model estimates)
OutcomeOccurredPrevented by vaccination
Illnesses51 million10 million
Medical visits23 million5 million
Hospitalizations710,000180,000
Deaths45,00012,000

Source: CDC, 2024-2025 Influenza Season Summary: Severity, Disease Burden, and Burden Prevented

These are model estimates, not counts, and CDC will revise the 2024-25 figures as final data arrive (expected in 2027). CDC corrected the illnesses-prevented figure to 10 million on March 12, 2026. Prevented burden depends on how many people were vaccinated and how well the vaccine matched, so it varies widely between seasons.

How Many People Get the Flu Worldwide?

The World Health Organization estimates the global toll of seasonal flu each year. These are modeled estimates, since most countries do not test every case.

WHO's death range counts respiratory deaths only, so deaths from flu-triggered heart attacks or strokes are not included. WHO figures are global and are not comparable with CDC's U.S. burden estimates.

How Much Does the Flu Cost?

Flu costs the U.S. billions of dollars a year in medical care and lost work. The two most cited estimates come from peer-reviewed studies in the journal Vaccine, and they measure cost in different ways.

The 2018 study (Putri et al.) counts medical costs and paid work missed, applied to the 2015 U.S. population. The older 2007 study (Molinari et al.) used 2003 dollars and also put a statistical value on lives lost, which is why its total is far higher. The two totals should not be compared as a trend.

The Deadliest Flu Pandemics in History

Four flu pandemics have struck in the past century: 1918, 1957, 1968 and 2009. The 1918 pandemic was by far the deadliest.

Estimated U.S. deaths in each of the four flu pandemics of the past century (deaths)
  • 1918 (H1N1) 675,000
  • 1957 (H2N2) 116,000
  • 1968 (H3N2) 100,000
  • 2009 (H1N1) 12,469

Source: CDC, What CDC Is Doing (Pandemic Flu) for 1918, and CDC's archived pandemic pages for 1957, 1968 and 2009. Chart: BestRatedDocs, free to reuse with a link to this page.

Show chart data
1918 (H1N1)675,000
1957 (H2N2)116,000
1968 (H3N2)100,000
2009 (H1N1)12,469
  • 50 to 100 million

    The 1918-19 flu pandemic was the most severe in the past century, killing 675,000 Americans and 50 to 100 million people worldwide, according to the CDC.

    CDC, What CDC Is Doing (Pandemic Flu) · 1918-19 data [28]

    #
  • about 500 million

    During the 1918 flu pandemic, about 500 million people, or one-third of the world's population, are estimated to have been infected, according to the CDC.

    CDC, 1918 Pandemic (H1N1 virus) (archived page) · 1918-19 data [29]

    #
  • 1.1 million

    The 1957-58 H2N2 flu pandemic killed an estimated 1.1 million people worldwide and 116,000 in the United States, according to the CDC.

    CDC, 1957-1958 Pandemic (H2N2 virus) (archived page) · 1957-58 data [30]

    #
  • 1 million

    The 1968 H3N2 flu pandemic killed an estimated 1 million people worldwide and about 100,000 in the United States, most of them aged 65 and older, according to the CDC.

    CDC, 1968 Pandemic (H3N2 virus) (archived page) · 1968 data [31]

    #
  • 60.8 million

    From April 12, 2009 to April 10, 2010, the 2009 H1N1 pandemic caused an estimated 60.8 million cases (range 43.3 million to 89.3 million), 274,304 hospitalizations and 12,469 deaths in the United States, according to the CDC.

    CDC, 2009 H1N1 Pandemic (H1N1pdm09 virus) (archived page) · April 2009 to April 2010 data [32]

    #
  • 151,700 to 575,400

    An estimated 151,700 to 575,400 people worldwide died from the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus during its first year of circulation, according to the CDC.

    CDC, 2009 H1N1 Pandemic (H1N1pdm09 virus) (archived page) · 2009-10 data [32]

    #
  • 80 percent

    Globally, 80 percent of deaths linked to the 2009 H1N1 pandemic virus are estimated to have occurred in people younger than 65, according to the CDC. The same archived 2019 page says about 70 percent to 90 percent of deaths in typical seasonal epidemics occur in people 65 and older, an older, wider range than the 70 percent to 85 percent CDC now gives for recent US seasons.

    CDC, 2009 H1N1 Pandemic (H1N1pdm09 virus) (archived page) · 2009-10 data [32]

    #
Estimated deaths in the four flu pandemics of the past century. 1918 figures from CDC's current pandemic flu page; 1957, 1968 and 2009 figures from CDC's archived pandemic pages.
PandemicVirusEst. deaths worldwideEst. U.S. deaths
1918H1N150 million to 100 million675,000
1957-58H2N21.1 million116,000
1968H3N21 million100,000
2009H1N1151,700 to 575,400 (first year)12,469

Source: CDC, What CDC Is Doing (Pandemic Flu) and CDC archived pandemic pages

Pandemic death counts are historical estimates and vary by study. CDC's current page gives 50 to 100 million deaths worldwide for 1918; its older, archived pandemic pages say at least 50 million. Worldwide figures for 1957, 1968 and 2009 come from CDC's archived pandemic pages, which CDC no longer updates.

Bird Flu (H5N1) Cases in People

H5 bird flu has spread widely in wild birds, poultry and U.S. dairy cows, with sporadic infections in people who work with animals. CDC rates the current public health risk as low and has found no person-to-person spread.

Confirmed human A(H5N1) bird flu cases reported to WHO worldwide, by period (cases), data as of 7 October 2026
  • 2003-2009 468
  • 2010-2014 233
  • 2015-2019 160
  • 2020-2024 102
  • 2025 31
  • 2026 (to Oct 7) 11

Source: WHO, Cumulative number of confirmed human cases for avian influenza A(H5N1) reported to WHO, 2003-2026. Chart: BestRatedDocs, free to reuse with a link to this page.

Show chart data
2003-2009468
2010-2014233
2015-2019160
2020-2024102
202531
2026 (to Oct 7)11

CDC's U.S. count covers all A(H5) cases since 2024, confirmed and probable. WHO's worldwide table counts laboratory-confirmed A(H5N1) cases since 2003 (for the U.S. in 2024-2025 it also includes cases reported as A(H5)), so its U.S. figures (71 cases, 1 death) differ from CDC's (74 cases, 3 deaths as of November 5, 2026). The case fatality ratio reflects severe cases that get tested and reported; mild infections are likely missed.

Methodology

Most U.S. figures on this page come from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). CDC does not count every flu case or death. It estimates the season's illnesses, medical visits, hospitalizations and deaths with a model built on lab-confirmed hospitalizations in its FluSurv-NET network, adjusted for people who were never tested. Each estimate has a 95% uncertainty interval, which we give where CDC publishes it. Estimates for 2023-24 and later seasons are preliminary and CDC revises them.

We keep three kinds of flu death figures apart because they measure different things. CDC's modeled estimates (for example, 45,000 deaths in 2024-25) try to capture every death flu caused. Death certificate counts from the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) are by calendar year and only include deaths where flu or pneumonia was written down, so they run far lower. Reported child deaths are a count of lab-confirmed cases notified to CDC, and CDC's separate model estimate for children is higher.

The 2025-26 burden figures are CDC's last in-season estimates, published in May 2026. CDC labels them as minimums ('at least'), so they should not be compared directly with the end-of-season estimates for past seasons. Vaccination coverage for 2025-26 is CDC's final estimate, from the National Immunization Survey-Flu for children and the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for adults, released in October 2026. Vaccine effectiveness comes from CDC's test-negative studies and is preliminary for 2024-25 and 2025-26.

Global figures come from the World Health Organization's seasonal influenza fact sheet and its cumulative table of human H5N1 cases. Historic pandemic figures are CDC estimates, some from CDC's archived pandemic pages, and vary between studies. The cost figures come from two peer-reviewed studies in the journal Vaccine, published in 2007 and 2018, which used different methods and years. Figures marked 'BestRatedDocs calculation' were worked out by us from the source's own numbers, and the arithmetic is in the CSV download.

Spot an error or a newer figure? Tell us and we will correct the page and note the change.

Cite this page

Free to quote, chart or link in articles, reports and coursework. Please credit the original source for each figure and link to this page as the compilation.

BestRatedDocs. (2026, November 9). Flu Statistics 2026. https://bestrateddocs.com/flu-statistics/

Frequently asked questions

How many people die from the flu each year?

CDC estimates that flu caused from 6,300 to 52,000 deaths a year in the United States between 2010 and 2025. The deadliest season in that span was 2017-18, with an estimated 52,000 deaths, and the 2024-25 season caused an estimated 45,000. These are model estimates. Death certificates list far fewer: influenza itself was named as the cause of 6,512 U.S. deaths in 2024, according to NCHS, because many people who die of flu complications are never tested.

How many people died from the flu in the 2025-26 season?

In its final in-season estimate, CDC estimated at least 24,000 flu deaths, 390,000 hospitalizations and 32 million illnesses in the 2025-26 season. These are minimums, and CDC publishes a full-season estimate later. CDC classified the season as moderate overall and high severity for children, and 202 child deaths had been reported as of October 31, 2026. For the new 2026-27 season, CDC estimated at least 1,400 deaths and 1,700,000 illnesses as of the week ending October 31, 2026.

How many people get the flu each year?

On average, about 8 percent of the U.S. population gets sick from flu each season, with a range of 3 percent to 11 percent, according to a CDC study of the 2010-11 to 2015-16 seasons. CDC's yearly estimates since 2010 range from 9.4 million to 51 million illnesses. The 2024-25 season, at 51 million, had the most of any season since at least 2010-11. Worldwide, WHO counts around a billion flu cases a year.

How many children die from the flu each year?

CDC's count of reported flu deaths in children reached 298 in the 2024-25 season, the highest season total since reporting began in 2004-05. The 2025-26 season had 202 reported child deaths as of October 31, 2026. Of the children who died in 2024-25 and were old enough to be vaccinated, 89% were not fully vaccinated. Because many children are never tested, CDC estimates the true 2024-25 toll at 790.

What percentage of people get a flu shot?

CDC estimates that 43.8% of people aged 6 months and older got a flu vaccine in the 2025-26 season. Coverage was 51.4% for children, 41.6% for adults 18 and older and 64.4% for adults 65 and older. Adults aged 18 to 49 had the lowest coverage, at 31.4%.

How effective is the flu vaccine?

Effectiveness changes every season with how well the vaccine matches the viruses that circulate. CDC's preliminary estimates put it at 56% in the 2024-25 season and 36% in the 2025-26 season, when a drifted H3N2 strain called subclade K dominated. CDC estimates that vaccination prevented 10 million illnesses, 180,000 hospitalizations and 12,000 deaths in the 2024-25 season.

How many people die from the flu worldwide?

Seasonal flu causes an estimated 290,000 to 650,000 respiratory deaths worldwide each year, according to the World Health Organization, out of around a billion cases and 3 to 5 million cases of severe illness. The deadliest flu pandemic on record, in 1918-19, killed 50 to 100 million people worldwide and 675,000 Americans, according to CDC.

Who is most likely to die from the flu?

Older adults. CDC says people 65 and older account for between 70 percent and 85 percent of seasonal flu deaths in recent years. In the 2024-25 season they made up an estimated 71% of flu deaths and 57% of flu hospitalizations. Children get sick more often: median seasonal flu incidence was 9.3% for children, against 3.9% for adults 65 and older.

Sources

  1. CDC, FluView Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report, Week 43 (ending October 31, 2026), published November 6, 2026 cdc.gov
  2. CDC, FluView Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report, Week 20 (ending May 23, 2026) cdc.gov
  3. CDC, FluView Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report, Week 39 (ending October 3, 2026) cdc.gov
  4. CDC, MMWR: Interim Estimates of 2025-26 Seasonal Influenza Vaccine Effectiveness cdc.gov
  5. CDC, FluView Weekly US Influenza Surveillance Report, Week 38 (ending September 26, 2026) cdc.gov
  6. CDC, About Estimated Flu Burden cdc.gov
  7. CDC, 2024-2025 Influenza Season Summary: Severity, Disease Burden, and Burden Prevented cdc.gov
  8. CDC, Flu Disease Burden: Past Seasons, rounded estimates (all ages) CSV cdc.gov
  9. CDC, About Influenza cdc.gov
  10. Tokars et al., Seasonal Incidence of Symptomatic Influenza in the United States, Clinical Infectious Diseases (2018) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  11. CDC, Flu Disease Burden: Past Seasons, estimates by age group CSV (BestRatedDocs calculation) cdc.gov
  12. CDC, Flu and People 65 Years and Older cdc.gov
  13. CDC FluView Interactive, Influenza-Associated Pediatric Mortality gis.cdc.gov
  14. CDC, MMWR: Influenza-Associated Pediatric Deaths, United States, 2024-25 Influenza Season (Reinhart et al.) cdc.gov
  15. CDC, MMWR: Pediatric Influenza-Associated Encephalopathy and Acute Necrotizing Encephalopathy, United States, 2024-25 Influenza Season cdc.gov
  16. CDC NCHS, FastStats: Influenza cdc.gov
  17. CDC NCHS, Stats of the States: Influenza and Pneumonia Mortality cdc.gov
  18. CDC FluVaxView, Flu Vaccination Coverage, United States, 2025-26 Influenza Season cdc.gov
  19. CDC FluVaxView, Flu Vaccination Coverage by Age Group, Adults, United States, 2025-26 Season (Excel table) cdc.gov
  20. CDC FluVaxView, Weekly Flu Vaccination Dashboard cdc.gov
  21. CDC, MMWR: Influenza and COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Among Health Care Personnel, United States, 2024-25 Respiratory Virus Season cdc.gov
  22. CDC, Influenza Vaccination Coverage for All Ages (6+ Months), data.cdc.gov (NIS-Flu) data.cdc.gov
  23. CDC, Past Seasons' Vaccine Effectiveness Estimates cdc.gov
  24. World Health Organization (WHO), Influenza (seasonal) fact sheet who.int
  25. World Health Organization (WHO), Global Influenza Surveillance and Response System (GISRS) who.int
  26. Putri et al., Economic burden of seasonal influenza in the United States, Vaccine (2018) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  27. Molinari et al., The annual impact of seasonal influenza in the US: measuring disease burden and costs, Vaccine (2007) pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov
  28. CDC, What CDC Is Doing (Pandemic Flu) cdc.gov
  29. CDC, 1918 Pandemic (H1N1 virus) (archived page) archive.cdc.gov
  30. CDC, 1957-1958 Pandemic (H2N2 virus) (archived page) archive.cdc.gov
  31. CDC, 1968 Pandemic (H3N2 virus) (archived page) archive.cdc.gov
  32. CDC, 2009 H1N1 Pandemic (H1N1pdm09 virus) (archived page) archive.cdc.gov
  33. CDC, A(H5) Bird Flu: Current Situation (updated November 5, 2026) cdc.gov
  34. World Health Organization (WHO), Cumulative number of confirmed human cases for avian influenza A(H5N1) reported to WHO, 2003-2026 cdn.who.int

Related on BestRatedDocs