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Feeling exhausted is remarkably common among American adults. A new report from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics found that 71.5% of adults experienced fatigue on at least some days during the three months covered by the survey, meaning nearly three in four Americans reported feeling very tired or exhausted.
The findings come from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey, which collected information from adults ages 18 and older about how often they experienced fatigue. Of the adults surveyed, 54.9% said they felt fatigued on some days, while 10.7% experienced it most days and 5.9% every day. Another 28.5% reported no fatigue during the three-month period.
The CDC defines frequent fatigue as feeling physically or mentally tired or exhausted most days or every day. Overall, 16.6% of adults met that definition, or roughly one in six people, making frequent fatigue considerably less common than occasional tiredness but still widespread enough to have important implications for everyday life.
Women and Younger Adults Report Fatigue More Often
Women reported frequent fatigue at a higher rate than men, with 20% of women experiencing fatigue most days or every day compared with 13% of men. The survey also found that more than half of women reported fatigue on some days, while the overall rate of frequent fatigue was lower among men.
Age was another major difference in the data. Adults ages 18 to 34 had the highest rate of frequent fatigue at 19.5%, followed by 17.4% among those ages 35 to 49 and 16.0% among adults ages 50 to 64. Among adults 65 and older, the rate fell to 12.9%.
The CDC also found differences across racial and ethnic groups. Frequent fatigue was reported by 25.5% of non-Hispanic American Indian and Alaska Native adults, 18.0% of non-Hispanic White adults, 17.3% of non-Hispanic Black adults, 12.9% of Hispanic adults, and 9.1% of non-Hispanic Asian adults. These figures describe differences in the survey and do not establish why one group experiences more fatigue than another.
Income and Location Also Appear to Matter
The report found that frequent fatigue generally decreased as family income increased. Among adults in families earning less than 100% of the federal poverty level, 21.7% experienced frequent fatigue, compared with 19.9% among those at 100% to less than 200% of the poverty level, 17.3% among those at 200% to less than 400%, and 13.6% among those at 400% or more.
Geography also showed differences. Frequent fatigue was more common in the South and Midwest than in other U.S. regions, and the CDC found that its prevalence increased as urbanization decreased. These patterns show that fatigue is not distributed evenly across the country, although the survey does not establish that geography itself causes exhaustion.
The report also looked at how fatigue overlaps with other difficulties. About half of adults with frequent fatigue reported difficulties in at least three areas of functioning, compared with about 16.9% of adults who did not have frequent fatigue. Among those experiencing frequent fatigue, 29% reported limitations participating in social activities and 36% reported limitations related to work.
Persistent Exhaustion Can Affect More Than Energy Levels
The CDC findings show that fatigue can be more than simply feeling sleepy after a busy day. Among adults with frequent fatigue, the symptoms were associated with difficulties involving everyday functioning, work, and social participation, suggesting that persistent exhaustion can interfere with activities beyond the feeling of being tired itself.
The report does not identify a single cause for frequent fatigue. Fatigue can have many possible explanations, including inadequate or poor-quality sleep, stress, medical conditions and medication effects, so the survey results should not be interpreted as proof that one particular lifestyle factor is responsible for the nation’s high fatigue levels.
For people who regularly feel exhausted even after getting enough rest, the findings offer a reason to pay attention rather than simply dismissing the feeling as part of a busy life. Nearly three in four adults reported some fatigue in the CDC survey, but persistent fatigue is different from occasional tiredness and can be worth discussing with a healthcare professional when it continues or interferes with daily activities.