The current picture
Planning is personal. The gap is measurable.
Estate planning is bigger than a document. It can include the choices, people, care preferences, and financial records that help a family act with more clarity when life changes. The figures below are drawn from named sources and retain their original scope. Follow each source for the full study, definitions, and methodology.
of U.S. adults say they have made a will
Pew Research Center found that about three in ten U.S. adults reported having a will in its September 2025 survey. Pew Research Center, 2025
say they have a living will or advance health care directive
The same nationally representative Pew survey found that 31% of adults said they had created one of these health care planning documents. Pew Research Center, 2025
of adults in their 70s say they have a will
Pew reported a clear age difference: roughly two-thirds of people in their 70s said they had created a will, compared with 46% of adults in their 60s. Pew Research Center, 2025
Americans provided ongoing family care in the past year
AARP and the National Alliance for Caregiving reported that 63 million Americans provided ongoing care for an adult or child with a complex medical condition or disability. AARP and National Alliance for Caregiving, 2025
federal estate tax returns were filed in 2022
The IRS reported 8,130 Form 706 estate tax returns filed in 2022, a count that applies only to estates above the filing threshold, not every estate or household. Internal Revenue Service, 2024 publication
estate and trust income tax returns were filed for tax year 2022
IRS statistics recorded 3.2 million Form 1041 returns for estates and trusts in tax year 2022, illustrating the scale of fiduciary income reporting. Internal Revenue Service, 2026 publication
The sources measure different populations and things, so these statistics are not meant to be added together or used as a forecast. They are presented to make the underlying research easier to find, quote, and revisit.