How many finished clinical trials post their results?
21.4% of the clinical trials completed in 2024 had posted results on ClinicalTrials.gov by September 2026, down from 35.6% of those completed in 2008, when a U.S. law began requiring results for many trials. That law covers mainly U.S. trials of drugs and devices past Phase 1, so many trials, including most outside the U.S., don't have to post here; some publish results in journals instead. Results are due a year after a trial ends, so the chart stops two years back, and a year's share can still rise.
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Source and date
- Data as of
- Published
The data
| Year the trial was completed | % of completed trials with results posted |
|---|---|
| 2008 | 35.6 |
| 2009 | 35.6 |
| 2010 | 34.7 |
| 2011 | 32.4 |
| 2012 | 32.8 |
| 2013 | 32.1 |
| 2014 | 31.9 |
| 2015 | 29.5 |
| 2016 | 29.2 |
| 2017 | 27.7 |
| 2018 | 26.4 |
| 2019 | 25.6 |
| 2020 | 25.2 |
| 2021 | 24.2 |
| 2022 | 24.1 |
| 2023 | 22.5 |
| 2024 | 21.4 |