Highlights. The average U.S. credit cardholder carries 3 cards (down from an average of 4 recorded in 2019).
- 186.6 million or 70% of U.S. adults have at least one credit card account in their name.
- Over 75% of U.S. households have at least one general-use credit card.
- There are enough active credit cards in the world for every living person over the age of 15 to have at least one.
How Many Credit Cards Does The Average Person Have?
American consumers have 564.5 million active credit card accounts; this total excludes cards that have been suspended, deactivated, or yet to be activated.
- 246 million Americans live in a household with at least one credit cardholder.
- When decimals are included, the average number of credit cards per cardholder declined by up to 22.3% from 2019 to 2021.
- The number of active credit card accounts in the U.S. has increased 20.2% since 2003 while the population has increased 15.2%.
- The four largest U.S. consumer credit processors have a cumulative total of 6.744 billion active credit cards worldwide.
- The total number of active credit card accounts is equivalent to 2.16 credit card accounts per American adult over 18 years.
| State | Average Number of Credit Cards |
|---|---|
| Alabama | 3.0 |
| Alaska | 2.8 |
| Arizona | 3.4 |
| Arkansas | 3.0 |
| California | 3.6 |
| Colorado | 3.4 |
| Connecticut | 3.8 |
| Delaware | 3.7 |
| District of Columbia | 3.0 |
| Florida | 3.7 |
| Georgia | 3.4 |
| Hawaii | 3.3 |
| Idaho | 3.2 |
| Illinois | 3.6 |
| Indiana | 3.2 |
| Iowa | 3.1 |
| Kansas | 3.3 |
| Kentucky | 3.2 |
| Louisiana | 3.1 |
| Maine | 3.1 |
| Maryland | 3.6 |
| Massachusetts | 3.6 |
| Michigan | 3.4 |
| Minnesota | 3.3 |
| Mississippi | 2.8 |
| Missouri | 3.3 |
| Montana | 2.9 |
| Nebraska | 3.4 |
| Nevada | 3.6 |
| New Hampshire | 3.6 |
| New Jersey | 4.1 |
| New Mexico | 3.1 |
| New York | 3.8 |
| North Carolina | 3.3 |
| North Dakota | 3.2 |
| Ohio | 3.5 |
| Oklahoma | 2.9 |
| Oregon | 3.1 |
| Pennsylvania | 3.6 |
| Rhode Island | 3.7 |
| South Carolina | 3.2 |
| South Dakota | 3.0 |
| Tennessee | 3.1 |
| Texas | 3.6 |
| Utah | 3.2 |
| Vermont | 3.0 |
| Virginia | 3.5 |
| Washington | 3.2 |
| West Virginia | 3.1 |
| Wisconsin | 3.3 |
| Wyoming | 2.9 |
What Kind of Credit Card Does the Average Person Have?
The average credit card is a Visa, with a 58% global market share among the four major U.S.-based processors.
- As of 2023, the average credit card rate is 19.6%.
- The average card has a credit limit of $7,777.
- The most widely used credit card processor is Visa, with 3.936 billion cards active worldwide.
| Age Group (Birth Year) | Q1 2021 Average number of Cards | Q1 2022 Average number of Cards |
|---|---|---|
| Generation Z (1997 – 2004) | 1.9 | 2.1 |
| Millennials (1981 – 1996) | 3.2 | 3.4 |
| Generation X (1965 – 1980) | 4.2 | 4.4 |
| Baby Boomers (1946 – 1964) | 4.5 | 4.6 |
| Silent Generation (1928 – 1945 | 3.5 | 3.4 |
These data and insights were compiled by the Capital One Shopping team based on publicly available data.
Sources
- Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of New York, Center for Microeconomic Data
- United States Census Bureau, Data
- CNBC
- U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, Corporate Filings
- Statista, Credit Cards Worldwide – Statistics and Facts
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, Consumer Credit Card Market Report
- Fed Board of Governors, Credit Card Profitability
- United Nations Population Fund, World Population Dashboard
- Experian, How Credit Card Usage Differs by Generation