Stats

Just how many people have Food Allergy? There are many different reports on actual numbers, so I thought I could save each reported statistic I found just as a way of getting to an approximate average, and also to show any big differences between official, and unofficial types of sources.

General

• As many as 15 million Americans have food allergies and that includes 6 million children.
• Food allergy is estimated to affect roughly 1 in 25 school-aged children

• Nonetheless, a recent, robust study from the Isle of Wight found one in 20 children did have an allergy. It also found evidence that the real incidence was growing.
• According the University of Chicago, food allergies affect almost 2 percent of the U.S. population.

Peanut

• Presently, there are approximately 3 million Americans who are allergic to peanuts and peanut products. 
• Recent research showed that in a Western community about 1 in 200 children (0.5%) had a reaction to peanut by 5 years of age. Overall about 1-2% of the population have a clinical reaction to peanuts.

Fish + Shellfish

• Allergy to seafood with bones and scales ( for example fish) affects about 0.5% of the population while allergy to invertebrates (for example prawns crabs ) is more common affecting about 1% of the population.