State Profile

Alaska

Population (2019): 731,545 thousand

Alaska’s public health outcomes generally lag those of the United States, and it has not taken several steps that would strengthen its preparedness for public health emergencies. Deaths owed to drug misuse, alcohol, or suicide outpace the country as a whole. Its rates of obesity and related conditions indicate a mixed picture, with the percentage of adults with obesity higher than the U.S. median, even as rates of diabetes and hypertension rank low. Finally, the state achieved a score of two out of a possible 10 measures of public health preparedness for diseases, disasters, and bioterrorism.