If you regularly feel tired, you’re not alone. In fact, according to a recent study, most Americans experience fatigue fairly regularly.
A report by the National Center for Health Statistics, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s health statistics agency, 71.5% of U.S. adults experience fatigue at least a few times within a three-month period.
The study used reported data from the 2024 National Health Interview Survey to estimate fatigue symptoms for individuals ages 18 and older. The dataset includes responses from more than 27,000 adult participants, although it doesn’t compare responses to previous years.
The study describes fatigue as a separate phenomenon to mere sleepiness or tiredness; it’s definition is “physical or mental tiredness or exhaustion that does not improve with additional sleep or rest.” But fatigue extends beyond just feeling tired. The study revealed that people who experience fatigue regularly are also more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety, and cognitive difficulties.
“So it’s not just that fatigue is common,” lead author of the study Natalie A.E. Young told NBC News. “It’s that fatigue is common, and those with fatigue are facing limitations in their daily lives.”
Study participants showed fatigue at different rates. More than half reported symptoms on “some days” during the three-month period, while 10.7% reported experiencing fatigue on “most days,” and 5.9% said they experienced fatigue “every day.”
The report also revealed that women are more likely than men to experience frequent fatigue—meaning most or every day. Around 20% of women reported symptoms of fatigue compared to just 13% of men.
Frequency of fatigue also varies across regions and socioeconomic factors, according to the study. For instance, frequent fatigue tends to decrease as family income increases. Additionally, frequent fatigue tends to increase with lower levels of urbanization, resulting in higher rates of fatigue in the South and Midwest.
While the report surfaced new revelations on the prevalence of fatigue in the U.S., it does hold some limitations, as the study did not explore the causes of fatigue.