How Many People Get Measles Each Year?

It used to be that measles was very common and almost everyone got measles.

While it was a so-called rite of passage and a part of growing up, it wasn’t something you looked forward to, as some kids didn’t survive having measles.

How Many People Get Measles Each Year?

Fortunately, measles case counts have dropped in the post-vaccine era.

How much did they drop?

Let’s see..

Year	Measles Cases (US)
1920	469,924
1941	894,134
over 400 measles deaths each year
1950	319,124
1953	449,146
1954	682,720
1956	611,936
1958	763,094
1962	503,282
1963	385,156
1964	458,063
1966	204,136
1967	62,705
1968	22,231
1969	25,826
1970	47,351
1978	26,871
1979	13,597
1983	1,497
1986	6,282
1989	18,193
1990	27,786
1991	9,643
1992	2,200
1993	312
OLD record high number of measles cases
1994	963
1995	281
1996	508
1997	138
1998	100
1999	100
2000	86
2001	116
2002	44
2003	55
OLD record low number of measles cases
2004	37
2005	66
2006	55
2007	43
2008	140
2009	71
2010	61
2011	220
2012	55
2013	187
OLD worst year for measles since 1994, with the largest single outbreak (377 cases in Ohio) since the endemic spread of measles was eliminated
2014	667
2015	188
2016	86
2017	120
2018	375
OLD worst year for measles since 1992, with the largest single outbreak (652 cases in Brooklyn, New York) since the endemic spread of measles was eliminated
2019	1,274
NEW record low number of measles cases
2020	13
2021	49
2022	121
2023	58
2024	232

Can you guess when the first measles vaccines were introduced?

Can you guess when we started to give kids a second dose of the MMR vaccine?

Can you guess when Wakefield became popular and Dr. Bob’s vaccine book was released?

Do you know how much it costs to contain these outbreaks?

Do you understand the consequences of a natural measles infection?

Can you explain why we will almost certainly see a big number of measles cases this year, even though we know the devastation that high rates of measles will cause?

How many people will get measles in the United States this year?

With rising cases worldwide, daily cases being reported, and low immunization rates – it could be another record year for measles in the United States.

It doesn’t have to be like this though.

Get vaccinated and protected and help get measles under control again!

More on Measles and Measles Cases

• What to Do If Your Child Is Exposed to Measles
• Why Do We Only Worry About Measles?
• The Myth That Measles Isn’t Deadly
• When Was the Last Measles Death in the United States?
• Costs of a Measles Outbreak
• How Contagious Is Measles?
• Can MMR Shedding Start a Measles Outbreak?
• CDC – Measles Cases and Outbreaks
• CDC – Notifiable Diseases and Mortality Tables. MMWR.
• Anti-Vaccine Movement Causes Worst Measles Epidemic In 20 Years
• Measles – Timeline | History of Vaccines
• Ask the Experts about MMR

Last Updated on July 8, 2025