Obamacare enrollment declines by half a million in 2017

March 15 (UPI) -- Half a million fewer people signed up for coverage under the Affordable Care Act in 2017 than in 2016, the Trump administration announced on Wednesday.

Data released by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services stated that 12.2 million people signed up or were automatically enrolled in marketplace plans during the 2017 Obamacare enrollment period, down from 12.7 million in 2016.

The number of enrollees younger than 35 increased to 36 percent from 28 percent in 2016.

A total of 31 percent of people who signed up for plans in 2017 were new customers.

The data also indicated that 81 percent of enrollees had their premiums reduced through a subsidy and 71 percent signed up for the mid-level Silver plan.

The enrollment period for 2017 ran from Nov. 1 through Jan. 31.

A CNN/ORC poll released in January showed 49 percent of people were in favor of Obamacare, the first time it was viewed as more popular than not since CNN began polling on Obamacare in March of 2010.