According to recent data compiled by the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs, more than 42 percent of U.S. citizens have a valid passport. The bureau’s figures show that there are 137.59 million U.S. passport books and passport cards in circulation as of 2018 (against a population estimate of 325.7 million).
The list on the bureau’s website (travel.state.gov/passports) includes annual figures dating back to 1989, when just over 7.2 million U.S. citizens had passports. The number of valid passports in circulation has increased every year, often by 3 to 5 million, over the 30-year sample period.
Spikes of up to 12 million per year occurred between 2006 and 2011, when demand for passports was heavier leading up to the implementation of legislation that required U.S. citizens to have passports to visit Canada and Mexico.
Number of Valid U.S. Passports in Circulation (1989 to present)
Source: The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Consular Affairs (travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/passports/after/passport-statistics.html)
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