GLP-1 Statistics for 2026: Prescriptions, Outcomes, and Market Data

'+ '

'+ '

'+ '

Your best protein picks ('+dietLabel+')

'+ '

'+ '

General guidance, not medical advice. Confirm targets with your prescribing clinician.

'; } q('go').addEventListener('click',calc); })();

US GLP-1 prescription numbers

On a prescription-count basis, approximately 1 in every 28 US adults was on a GLP-1 medication at the end of 2025, projected to reach about 1 in 22 (roughly 4.5 percent of adults) by the end of 2026. The table above tracks distinct patients on branded GLP-1s from IQVIA-based drug utilization data and manufacturer reporting. Year-over-year growth has run about 26 to 40 percent in recent years, not the "hundreds of percent" figures sometimes repeated online.

Prescription counts vs survey estimates (read this before you cite a number): the ~12 million figure above is a conservative, prescription-based count of adults on branded GLP-1s. Population surveys report higher shares because they capture self-reported use including compounded, telehealth, and intermittent or borrowed use that branded prescription models undercount. Gallup (fieldwork May 28 to June 5, 2026, 5,065 adults) found 11 percent of US adults currently use a GLP-1 for weight loss, about 29 million, up from 3 percent in 2024, with 15 percent having ever used one. KFF (fieldwork October 27 to November 2, 2025) found about 12 percent (1 in 8) currently taking a GLP-1 for any reason and 18 percent ever. Both framings are correct for what they measure: use the ~12 million prescription count for branded-drug market sizing, and the 11 to 12 percent survey figures for total population reach.

Weight loss outcomes from clinical trials

Tirzepatide (Mounjaro and Zepbound) produces larger average weight loss than semaglutide (Ozempic and Wegovy) in head to head data and similarly dosed populations. Both classes produce 2x to 4x the weight loss of older GLP 1s like liraglutide (Saxenda).

Reported side effect rates from clinical trials

Nausea is the most commonly reported side effect for both drug classes and is the primary driver of food choice changes on GLP-1 medications.

Manufacturer revenue from GLP-1 medications

Combined GLP-1 revenue from the two major manufacturers grew from about $10B in 2021 to roughly $73B in 2025, about a 7x increase in four years. In full-year 2025, Eli Lilly's tirzepatide brands (Mounjaro plus Zepbound) reached $36.5 billion combined (Mounjaro up about 99 percent, Zepbound up about 175 percent), overtaking Novo Nordisk's total GLP-1 franchise. Novo's 2025 GLP-1 sales were about DKK 234 billion (Ozempic DKK 127.1B, Wegovy DKK 79.1B, plus Rybelsus, Victoza and Saxenda), roughly $36 to $37 billion. The pace has continued into 2026: in Q1 2026 alone, worldwide Mounjaro revenue was $8.7 billion and US Zepbound revenue was $4.1 billion, while Novo's total Q1 2026 sales reached DKK 96.8 billion (about $15.2 billion). Novo 2024 and 2025 figures are converted from Danish kroner and are approximate. Lilly's tirzepatide ramp, from $483M in 2022 to $36.5B in 2025, is the fastest pharmaceutical ramp in modern memory. Note on scope: the Eli Lilly column tracks tirzepatide (Mounjaro plus Zepbound), which is why it excludes Lilly's older GLP-1 Trulicity; the Novo Nordisk column reflects its full branded GLP-1 franchise.

Demographics of US GLP-1 users

• Gender: 64 percent female, 36 percent male (KFF 2024 survey).
• Age: 53 percent ages 35 to 54; 28 percent ages 55 to 64; 11 percent 65+; 8 percent under 35.
• Indication split: 53 percent prescribed for weight management, 39 percent for Type 2 diabetes, 8 percent for cardiovascular indications (Wegovy 2024 expansion).
• Affordability: about 56 percent of current GLP-1 users, including 55 percent of those with insurance, say the drugs are difficult to afford; 27 percent of insured users paid the full cost themselves and 14 percent stopped because of cost (KFF, late 2025).
• List price (WAC) vs real self-pay (August 2026): injectable list prices remain about $1,000 to $1,350 per month, but cash self-pay is now far lower through manufacturer and retail programs (see the pricing snapshot below).
• Discontinuation: real-world insurance-claims data shows about 65 percent of users without type 2 diabetes and about 47 percent with diabetes discontinue within one year (JAMA Network Open, January 2025, 125,474 adults). By contrast, discontinuation due to side effects in the pivotal trials was only about 6 to 7 percent. Among patients who stopped in a clinical-practice cohort, the leading reasons were financial (47.6 percent), side effects (14.6 percent), and drug shortages (11.8 percent), with reaching goal weight a minor factor (Obesity, 2024, n=288).

Pricing snapshot (August 2026)

The out-of-pocket picture changed sharply in 2025 and 2026. List prices still read $1,000 and up, but almost no cash payer pays that now:

• Zepbound (LillyDirect self-pay vials): about $349 per month for the 2.5 mg starting dose and about $499 per month for 5 mg and higher doses.
• Wegovy (NovoCare self-pay): about $349 per month for the injection ($199 per month for the first two months for new patients); the oral Wegovy pill, launched January 5, 2026, runs about $149 to $299 per month by dose.
• Costco and Sesame program: Costco members with a prescription can fill Wegovy or Ozempic injections for about $349 per month cash ($199 per month for the first two months).
• Medicare: the Medicare GLP-1 Bridge Program, effective July 1, 2026, caps eligible enrollees at roughly a $50 monthly copay for covered products including Wegovy, Zepbound and Foundayo.
• Foundayo (orforglipron), Lilly's oral GLP-1: FDA approved and launched April 9, 2026, at a $649 per month list price, with LillyDirect self-pay from $149 to $349 per month by dose and eligible commercially insured patients paying as little as $25 per month.

Impact on food and meal delivery industry

The clearest recent measurement comes from Cornell University's peer-reviewed study "The No-Hunger Games: How GLP-1 Medication Adoption is Changing Consumer Food Demand" (Hristakeva, Journal of Marketing Research, December 18, 2025), which matched GLP-1 survey data to transaction records from about 150,000 US households tracked by Numerator:

1. Grocery spending among GLP-1 households falls about 5.3 percent within six months of starting the medication, and more than 8 percent among higher-income households.
2. Savory snacks spending drops about 10 percent, with similarly large declines in sweets, baked goods and cookies; bread, meat and eggs also fall.
3. Limited-service restaurants (fast food and coffee shops) see spending fall about 8 percent per GLP-1 household.
4. A few categories rise: yogurt increases the most, followed by fresh fruit, nutrition bars and meat snacks, consistent with a shift toward protein and nutrient density.

PwC's 2026 GLP-1 Usage and Attitudes Survey (3,000+ users, fieldwork May 4 to 9, 2026, with Numerator household analysis) shows how far adoption has spread and confirms the direction of the spending shift:

1. Household reach: about 21 percent of US households now include a current GLP-1 user as of May 2026, up from 9 percent in January 2025.
2. Grocery spending is down about 5.5 percent per GLP-1 household after six to eight months.
3. Quick-service restaurant spending is down about 8.7 percent per household (pizza down 22.2 percent, chicken down 11.6 percent, coffee and bakery down 8.0 percent, burgers down 6.4 percent).
4. Category shift: 61 percent of current users report buying fewer sweet treats and 56 percent fewer salty snacks, while 44 percent buy more fresh produce and 35 percent more packaged protein.

Meal delivery services responded by launching GLP-1 and high-protein menu lines (for example Factor, Trifecta, Splendid Spoon, BistroMD and Snap Kitchen's dedicated GLP-1 program). Industry estimate: services with GLP-1 specific menus have expanded these lines roughly 30 to 50 percent year over year, though this is a directional estimate from company announcements rather than an audited figure.

Sources and methodology

Prescription-based counts from IQVIA drug utilization data (2020 to 2026) and Novo Nordisk and Eli Lilly earnings releases. Survey-based usage from Gallup (June 2026) and the KFF Health Tracking Poll (November 2025). Clinical trial data from peer-reviewed publications: STEP 1 (Wilding et al, NEJM 2021), STEP 4 (Rubino et al, JAMA 2021), SUSTAIN 7 (Pratley et al, Lancet 2018), SURMOUNT 1 (Jastreboff et al, NEJM 2022), SURPASS 3 (Ludvik et al, Lancet 2021). Side effect rates from FDA prescribing information for Wegovy and Zepbound. Discontinuation from Gasoyan et al, JAMA Network Open (January 2025) and Gasoyan et al, Obesity (2024). Demographics from the KFF Health Tracking Poll and Trilliant Health GLP-1 reporting. Industry impact from Hristakeva, Journal of Marketing Research (December 2025) and the PwC 2026 GLP-1 Usage and Attitudes Survey. Pricing snapshot from Eli Lilly (LillyDirect), Novo Nordisk (NovoCare), the Costco and Sesame program, and CMS Medicare guidance, verified August 2026.

How to cite this page

For journalists, researchers, and writers: cite as “MealFan, GLP-1 Statistics 2026, updated August 2, 2026” with a link back to this page. All data tables are free to embed with attribution.

The nutrition side most drug guides skip

We are a food site, so here is what the drug-only sites leave out: GLP-1 medications works by shrinking appetite, and that creates a real nutritional risk. When you eat far less, you do not just lose fat, you can lose muscle and fall short on protein, fiber, and key vitamins and minerals. The fix is not eating more; it is making every bite count.

The four risks to manage (and the food fix)

What to actually eat

• Protein at every meal and snack: eggs, chicken, fish, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, tofu, beans, or a protein shake.
• Nutrient-dense, smaller-volume foods: salmon and sardines (omega-3, vitamin D, B12), eggs, dairy, leafy greens, beans and lentils, nuts and seeds, berries.
• Easy formats for nausea days: protein smoothies, broth-based soups, yogurt.
• Hydration and fiber: water and electrolytes plus tolerable high-fiber vegetables and fruit.

If your appetite is so low that you are eating very little, a daily multivitamin can backstop the gaps, ask your prescribing clinician.

Sources & references

• Wilding JPH, et al. Once-Weekly Semaglutide in Adults with Overweight or Obesity (STEP 1). New England Journal of Medicine (2021).
• Jastreboff AM, et al. Tirzepatide Once Weekly for the Treatment of Obesity (SURMOUNT-1). New England Journal of Medicine (2022).
• Wegovy (semaglutide) Prescribing Information, mechanism of action of GLP-1 receptor agonists. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2021, accessed August 2026).
• Gasoyan H, et al. Discontinuation and Reinitiation of Dual-Labeled GLP-1 Receptor Agonists Among US Adults with Overweight or Obesity. JAMA Network Open (2025).
• Hristakeva S. The No-Hunger Games: How GLP-1 Medication Adoption is Changing Consumer Food Demand. Journal of Marketing Research (2025).
• In U.S., GLP-1 Usage Reaches New High. Gallup (2026).