75+ Semaglutide and GLP-1 Statistics You Need to Know (2026)

This is the most comprehensive collection of GLP-1 and semaglutide statistics available, covering market data, usage trends, clinical outcomes, demographics, costs, employer coverage, and the drug pipeline. Every stat is sourced from published research, government data, or verified industry reports.

Key GLP-1 Statistics (Top-Line Summary)

• Nearly 12% of American adults have used a GLP-1 drug for weight loss (RAND, 2025)

• 6.9 million adults with diagnosed diabetes were using GLP-1 injectables in 2024, representing 26.5% of all adults with diagnosed diabetes (CDC, 2025)

• The global GLP-1 market was valued at approximately $53 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach $157 billion by 2030 (industry estimates)

• GLP-1 usage among diabetic adults surged 155% between 2018 and 2022 (CDC)

• Spending on GLP-1 medications increased more than 500% from 2018 to 2023 (JAMA Network Open)

• Over 57 million privately insured American adults are clinically eligible for GLP-1 drugs (KFF)

• Five GLP-1 products (Ozempic, Wegovy, Rybelsus, Mounjaro, Zepbound) have generated a cumulative $71 billion in US revenue since launch through 2024 (I-MAK)

• Those same five products are projected to reach $470 billion in cumulative US revenue by 2030 (I-MAK)

GLP-1 Market Size and Revenue Statistics

• The global GLP-1 receptor agonist market was valued at approximately $53 billion in 2024

• Projected market size by 2030: $157 billion, at a compound annual growth rate of approximately 17%

• Some analyst projections estimate the market could exceed $187 billion by 2032

• North America accounts for approximately 78% of worldwide GLP-1 sales

• Eli Lilly and Novo Nordisk combined sold more than $40 billion in GLP-1 drugs in 2024

• In Q1 2025, Novo Nordisk brought in $11.8 billion in total revenue (up 19% year over year) and Eli Lilly brought in $12.7 billion (up 44% year over year)

• Ozempic generated nearly $5 billion in Q1 2025 revenue alone

• Wegovy brought in $2.6 billion in Q1 2025 (up ~85% from Q1 2024)

• Zepbound revenue hit $2.3 billion in Q1 2025 (up ~345% from Q1 2024)

• Mounjaro brought in $3.8 billion in Q1 2025 (up 111% year over year)

• Tirzepatide (Mounjaro + Zepbound combined) became the world's best-selling drug by Q3 2025, surpassing Merck's Keytruda

• Zepbound is projected to earn $66 billion in revenue during its first five years on market — compared to $4 billion for Prozac and $7 billion for Viagra in their respective first five years (I-MAK)

• As of Q2 2025, Eli Lilly holds approximately 57% of the GLP-1 market share, overtaking Novo Nordisk

• Novo Nordisk's market capitalization briefly surpassed the entire GDP of Denmark in 2024, making it the most valuable company in Europe

• Eli Lilly became the most valuable pharmaceutical company in the world by market cap

• Over 60 companies are developing GLP-1 drugs, with more than 135 candidates in clinical trials

GLP-1 Prescription and Usage Statistics

• 2.45 million patients were prescribed a GLP-1 between January 2018 and September 2025, generating 12.2 million total prescriptions in one large US health system dataset (Truveta/medRxiv)

• Nearly 12% of American adults have used a GLP-1 drug for weight loss (RAND, August 2025)

• An additional 14% of Americans say they are interested in using GLP-1 drugs (RAND)

• 74% of Americans say they do not plan to take GLP-1 medications (RAND)

• In 2024, 26.5% of adults with diagnosed diabetes used GLP-1 injectables — equivalent to an estimated 6.9 million people (CDC NCHS Data Brief, August 2025)

• GLP-1 use among diabetic adults rose 155% between 2018 and 2022 (CDC)

• The share of Americans under 65 with private insurance who filled at least one GLP-1 prescription grew more than eightfold (718%) since 2012 (KFF/MarketScan)

• Among first-time GLP-1 prescriptions where use could be established, 72% were for diabetes (ADM) and 28% were for obesity/weight loss (AOM) as of September 2025 (Truveta)

• HealthVerity data captures prescription data on more than 19.1 million patients taking GLP-1 drugs

• Approximately 1 in 4 patients prescribed semaglutide or tirzepatide did not have a type 2 diabetes diagnosis, indicating substantial off-label or weight-loss use (HealthVerity)

• GLP-1 prescriptions among adults aged 18–39 grew by 588% from 2019 to 2024

• The number of US patients starting GLP-1 treatments for non-diabetic purposes increased by 700% since 2019

• As of September 2025, tirzepatide surpassed semaglutide as the most commonly prescribed first-time GLP-1 medication (Truveta)

• Novo Nordisk's oral Wegovy pill hit 50,000 weekly prescriptions within three weeks of its US launch in early 2026

GLP-1 Demographic Statistics

• Women tend to use GLP-1 drugs at higher rates than men overall (RAND)

• The highest usage rate is among women aged 50–64: roughly one in five have used a GLP-1 (RAND)

• Among adults aged 30–49, women are more than twice as likely as men to have used a GLP-1 (RAND)

• Among adults 65 and older, GLP-1 use is somewhat higher for men than women (RAND)

• The most prescriptions go to adults aged 55–65 (29% of prescriptions), followed by adults 65 and older (26%) (PurpleLab/Axios)

• Among adults with diagnosed diabetes, usage by race: Hispanic (31.3%), Black non-Hispanic (26.5%), White non-Hispanic (26.2%), Asian non-Hispanic (12.1%) (CDC, 2024)

• GLP-1 use is higher among those with greater body mass index (CDC)

• 73% of women and 61% of men report feeling pressure to lose weight (Health Management Academy)

• 70% of Americans believe GLP-1s are only accessible to the wealthy (Health Management Academy)

GLP-1 Cost and Insurance Coverage Statistics

• List price for GLP-1 injectables: approximately $1,000/month before insurance or discounts

• New direct-to-consumer pricing (post-Trump MFN deal): Zepbound $299–$449/month; Wegovy injectables $349/month; oral Wegovy starting at $149/month for lower doses

• Americans pay 2–4x more for GLP-1s than consumers in Europe, where monthly costs range from $83–$144

• GLP-1 spending increased more than 500% from 2018 to 2023 (JAMA Network Open)

• 55% of US employers cover GLP-1s for diabetes; 36% cover them for both diabetes and weight loss (IFEBP, 2025)

• 19% of firms with 200+ workers cover GLP-1s for weight loss; that jumps to 43% among firms with 5,000+ workers (KFF, 2025)

• Coverage at large firms (5,000+) rose significantly from 28% in 2024 to 43% in 2025 (KFF)

• Employer per-member-per-month (PMPM) cost for GLP-1s: ~$24 in 2024, up from ~$1.50 in 2019 (IFEBP)

• GLP-1 drug costs represented 10.5% of total annual employer insurance claims in 2025, up from 6.9% in 2022 (IFEBP)

• In one Minnesota school district, GLP-1s account for 2% of prescriptions but 56% of total drug spending (BCBS)

• Only 13 US states cover GLP-1s for obesity treatment through Medicaid

• 42% of non-elderly adults with private insurance (57.4 million people) are clinically eligible for GLP-1 drugs (KFF)

• Among those with employer-sponsored insurance, 49.3 million are eligible; 36.2 million based on obesity alone (KFF)

• More than half of insured US adults who've used GLP-1s report difficulty affording the medication (Aon)

• 31% of employees would consider switching employers for GLP-1 coverage (OneDigital)

• The vast majority of GLP-1 prescriptions go to commercially insured patients; only 9% are written for Medicaid patients (PurpleLab)

GLP-1 Prescription Fill and Adherence Statistics

• 72% of first-time GLP-1 prescriptions for diabetes are filled within 60 days (Truveta)

• Only 47% of first-time GLP-1 prescriptions for weight loss/obesity are filled within 60 days (Truveta)

• 63% of patients starting Wegovy or Zepbound in early 2024 remained on therapy at one year, up from 40% in the 2023 cohort (Prime Therapeutics)

• Only 14% of patients remain on Wegovy after three years (Prime Therapeutics)

• Approximately 22% of semaglutide users and 16% of tirzepatide users stopped treatment within the first year (Obesity, 2025)

• Nearly two-thirds of patients discontinue GLP-1 treatment before reaching the 12-week mark needed for meaningful weight loss (BCBS)

• Patients who discontinued semaglutide or tirzepatide within the first three months lost only 3.6% of body weight; those who quit between three and twelve months lost 6.8% (HealthVerity)

• The STEP 1 extension study showed participants regained approximately two-thirds of lost weight within one year of stopping semaglutide

GLP-1 Weight Loss Clinical Trial Statistics

• Semaglutide 2.4mg (STEP 1): Average weight loss of 14.9% over 68 weeks vs 2.4% for placebo. About one-third of participants lost 20% or more of body weight.

• Semaglutide 2.4mg + behavioral therapy (STEP 3): Average weight loss of 16% over 68 weeks

• Semaglutide 2.4mg, two-year data (STEP 5): 15.2% weight loss sustained over 104 weeks

• Tirzepatide 15mg (SURMOUNT-1): Average weight loss of 22.5% over 72 weeks. More than one-third lost 25%+. Over half lost 20%+.

• Tirzepatide, with diabetes (SURMOUNT-2): Average weight loss of 14.7% at 15mg dose over 72 weeks

• Real-world results vs trials: Patients lost 7.7% on semaglutide and 12.4% on tirzepatide after one year in real-world settings — roughly half the weight loss seen in randomized trials (Obesity, 2025)

• Bariatric surgery procedures decreased by 42% from 2019 to 2024, while GLP-1 prescriptions for young adults surged 588% — suggesting pharmacological approaches are displacing surgical ones

GLP-1 Cardiovascular and Health Outcome Statistics

• SELECT Trial: Semaglutide reduced major adverse cardiovascular events (heart attack, stroke, cardiovascular death) by 20% in overweight/obese adults with established heart disease

• FLOW Trial: Semaglutide reduced kidney disease progression by 24% in patients with type 2 diabetes and chronic kidney disease (trial stopped early due to clear benefit)

• SOUL Trial: Oral semaglutide reduced major adverse cardiovascular events by 14% in type 2 diabetes patients with high cardiovascular risk

• HbA1c reduction: Semaglutide (Ozempic 1mg) reduces HbA1c by approximately 1.5–1.8 percentage points; tirzepatide at 15mg has shown reductions up to 2.4 percentage points

• MASH/Fatty liver: 59% of patients on semaglutide achieved MASH resolution vs 17% on placebo in phase 2 trials

• Sleep apnea (SURMOUNT-OSA): Tirzepatide reduced the apnea-hypopnea index by up to 63%, with some patients no longer meeting diagnostic criteria for sleep apnea

• A large retrospective study found semaglutide users had lower rates of 10 out of 13 obesity-associated cancers compared to non-users

• Epidemiological data suggests GLP-1 use is associated with lower rates of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease

GLP-1 Side Effect Statistics

• Approximately 44% of participants on semaglutide 2.4mg reported nausea (vs 18% on placebo)

• 30% reported diarrhea on semaglutide 2.4mg

• 24% reported vomiting on semaglutide 2.4mg

• Among real-world users: about half report nausea and about one-third report diarrhea (RAND)

• Discontinuation due to adverse events: ~7% for semaglutide (STEP trials); 4–7% for tirzepatide (SURMOUNT trials)

• Approximately 25–40% of weight lost on GLP-1s can be lean mass (muscle) rather than fat

• The proportion of US adults classified as obese increased from 40% in 2010 to 45% in 2024 (Epic Research) — the population that could benefit from these medications continues to grow

GLP-1 Pipeline and Future Statistics

• Retatrutide (Eli Lilly, triple agonist): Up to 24% body weight loss in Phase 2 trials

• Orforglipron (Eli Lilly, oral GLP-1): 12.4% weight loss in Phase 3 trials

• CagriSema (Novo Nordisk, semaglutide + cagrilintide): Up to 22.7% weight loss in Phase 3

• Amycretin (Novo Nordisk, oral combination): 13% weight loss in just 12 weeks in early trials

• MariTide (Amgen): Up to 20% weight loss sustained over 52 weeks, with potential for monthly dosing

• Over 60 companies are developing GLP-1 drugs with 135+ candidates in clinical trials

• Ongoing clinical trials are investigating GLP-1s for Alzheimer's disease, alcohol use disorder, MASH, addiction, osteoarthritis, and more

• Eli Lilly is forecasting 2026 sales of $80–$83 billion, with GLP-1s driving the bulk of growth

• Both Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly invested tens of billions in manufacturing expansion — Novo has invested $24 billion in US manufacturing sites over the past decade

US State-Level GLP-1 Statistics

• GLP-1 prescriptions jumped roughly 10% nationally in 2024, with double-digit growth in 23 states (PurpleLab/Axios)

• Fastest growth states: Rhode Island (67.8%), Massachusetts (48%), and New Jersey (35.8%) year-over-year

• Six states saw declines: Arkansas, Louisiana, West Virginia, Idaho, South Dakota, and Vermont

• Only 13 states cover GLP-1s for obesity alone through Medicaid

• California's Medi-Cal ended coverage of GLP-1s prescribed solely for weight loss effective January 1, 2026

What These Numbers Mean for Health Optimization

The GLP-1 statistics tell a clear story: these drugs are reshaping healthcare at a scale and speed not seen since the introduction of statins. The clinical data supports their use well beyond simple weight loss — spanning cardiovascular protection, metabolic health, organ preservation, and potentially neurodegenerative disease prevention.

But the access gap is real. Tens of millions of eligible Americans still can't afford or access these medications. Employer coverage is expanding but uneven. Adherence remains a challenge, with most patients discontinuing within a year if not supported with the right infrastructure.

The opportunity for platforms that make GLP-1 access more affordable, pair medications with comprehensive monitoring (lab work, wearables, coaching), and support long-term adherence has never been larger.