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What percentage of American adults have difficulty walking or climbing steps?

18.9% of American adults have difficulty walking or climbing steps — about 19 in every 100, or 2 in 10. That is the figure published by the National Health Interview Survey for 2025.

Where this number comes from

Survey

National Health Interview Survey

What it measured

Respondents were asked if they had difficulty walking or climbing steps. Respondents who had "some" or "a lot" of difficulty or could not walk or climb steps at all were classified as having difficulty walking or climbing steps.

Population

U.S. adults aged 18 and over

Year

2025

95% confidence interval

18.3% to 19.5%

Work of the U.S. federal government - public domain. See the source data

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