Prevalence and Context of Sunburn Among U.S. Adults

The 2024 National Health Interview Survey found that 35.1% of U.S. adults (approximately 88.1 million) experienced at least one sunburn in the previous year, including 7.5% (18.8 million) with four or more sunburns.

Among adults reporting sunburn, the most common context for the most recent event was spending time in, on, or near water (60.6%), followed by exercising (24.7%), drinking alcohol (17.6%), intentional tanning (15.9%), and working (12.9%).

Notably, 55.1% reported sunburn despite sunscreen use, indicating potential gaps in proper application or effectiveness of sun protection behaviors and highlighting opportunities to strengthen prevention messaging and interventions. Read more in CDC’s MMWR here.