How many people are on Medicare in the US?
Refreshed annually
About 69.3 million, or 20.3% of the population, in 2025. Administered by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare is one of the largest federal programs based on spending, providing health insurance coverage primarily to people 65 and older.
69.3M
enrolled in Medicare programs (2025)
20.3%
of the population insured by Medicare (2025)
Medicare began in 1967, enrolling 19.3 million people, and that number has increased every year since.
Today, Medicare has three main types of coverage: Part A (hospital insurance), Part B (medical insurance), and Part D (prescription drug coverage). These benefits are funded by the federal government and may be provided either through traditional Medicare or through private Medicare Advantage plans (Part C), which receive payments from Medicare to administer Part A and Part B benefits.
Across all parts, Medicare served 69.3 million people in 2025, roughly double the 33.6 million enrolled in 1989.
In 2025, 69.3 million people were enrolled across all Medicare programs.
Average annual enrollment across all parts of Medicare
Medicare primarily serves an older population. In 2025, 62.5 million Americans aged 65 and older were enrolled in at least one part, up 34% from the 46.6 million enrolled in 2015. The 65-and-older share of enrollees rose from 84% to 90% over that period.
People under 65 may also qualify for Medicare if they have a disability, end-stage renal disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, or Lou Gehrig's disease). In 2025, there were 6.95 million Medicare beneficiaries under 65, accounting for the remaining 10% of beneficiaries.
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In 2025, 62.5 million people aged 65 and older were enrolled in Medicare.
Unique enrollment across all parts of Medicare, by age group
Medicare has covered a growing share of Americans since its inception. In 2025, 20.3% of the US population had Medicare coverage, more than double the 9.7% share in 1967.
In 2025, 20.3% of US residents had Medicare coverage.
Medicare enrollment as a share of the total population
The share of people covered by Medicare varies by state and largely reflects each state's age distribution. In 2025, Medicare covered 27.2% of residents in Maine, more than any other state, where 24.6% of the population is aged 65 or older.
At the other end, just 13.6% of Utah residents were covered by Medicare, where 13% of the population is aged 65 or older.
In 2025, Maine ranked highest in its share of people covered by Medicare.
Percent share of population covered by Medicare
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Methodology
USAFacts standardizes data, in areas such as time and demographics, to make it easier to understand and compare.
Page sources
USAFacts endeavors to share the most up-to-date information available. We sourced the data on this page directly from government agencies; however, the intervals at which agencies publish updated data vary.
