Arthritis Related Statistics

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Find basic statistics about arthritis, such as prevalence, disabilities and limitations, quality of life, and costs.

Note: There are different data sources for some of the arthritis related statistics; therefore, case definitions and terminology will also vary. Learn more about arthritis case definitions.

Common Types of Arthritis
an adult hand writing the word arthritis

Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis. Gout, fibromyalgia, and rheumatoid arthritis are other common rheumatic conditions.

Learn more about specific types of arthritis.

Prevalence of Arthritis in the United States
National Prevalence
  • From 2013–2015, an estimated 58.5 million US adults (22.7%) annually had ever been told by a doctor that they had some form of arthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus, or fibromyalgia.1 Learn more about national arthritis statistics.
Prevalence by State
  • The percentage of adults with arthritis varies by state, ranging from 17.2% in Hawaii to 33.6% in West Virginia in 2015. Learn more about state-level arthritis statistics.
  • To view arthritis prevalence estimates by state, go to the interactive map on the Chronic Disease Indicators database and select a state on the map.
  • For detailed state-level estimates, see the MMWR Surveillance Summary: “Geographic Variations in Arthritis Prevalence, Health-Related Characteristics, and Management—United States, 2015.”
Prevalence by County
Prevalence by Census Track or Largest Cities
  • The percentage of adults with arthritis varies by census track or within each of the 500 largest cities in the United States.
  • To view arthritis prevalence estimates by census track or large city, go to the interactive map on PLACES and select location type.
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Projected Prevalence of Arthritis in US Adults

By 2040, an estimated 78 million (26%) US adults aged 18 years or older are projected to have doctor-diagnosed arthritis.2

Learn more about future arthritis burden.

Chart: Estimated and Projected Number of Adults with Doctor-Diagnosed Arthritis in the United States. See text description for details.

Text description is available.

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Prevalence of Arthritis by Age/Race/Gender
Prevalence by Age
  • From 2013 to 2015 in the United States
    • Of people aged 18 to 44 years, 7.1% ever reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis.1
    • Of people aged 45 to 64 years, 29.3% ever reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis.1
    • Of people aged 65 years or older, 49.6% ever reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis.1
  • The risk of arthritis increases with age and arthritis is more common among women than men.1
Prevalence by Gender
  • From 2013 to 2015 in the United States, 26% women and 19.1% men ever reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis.1
  • To view state-specific prevalence estimates in men and women, go to the interactive map on the Chronic Disease Indicators Database and select Gender in the “View by” drop down menu.
Prevalence by Race and Ethnicity
  • 4.4 million Hispanic adults ever reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis.1
  • 41.3 million Non-Hispanic whites ever reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis.1
  • 6.1 million Non-Hispanic blacks ever reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis.1
  • 1.5 million Non-Hispanic Asians ever reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis.1
  • To view state-specific prevalence estimates by race and ethnicity, go to the interactive map on the Chronic Disease Indicators Database and select Race/Ethnicity in the “View by” drop down menu.
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Overweight/Obesity and Arthritis
  • Adults aged 18 years or older who are overweight or obese report doctor-diagnosed arthritis more often than adults with a lower body mass index (BMI).
    • More than 16% of under/normal weight adults report doctor-diagnosed arthritis.1
    • Almost 23% of overweight and 31% of obese US adults report doctor-diagnosed arthritis.1
  • Learn more about arthritis comorbidities like obesity.
  • For state-level estimates of arthritis among adults who are obese, see the MMWR Surveillance Summary.
  • To view state-specific arthritis prevalence estimates among adults who are obese, go to the interactive Chronic Disease Indicators Database and select indicator: Arthritis among adults aged >= 18 years who are obese.
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Severe Joint Pain and Arthritis
  • In 2015, 15 million adults reported severe joint pain due to arthritis.
  • The percentage of adults with arthritis who have arthritis-attributable severe joint pain varies by state, ranging from 20.3% in Utah to 46% in Mississippi in 2015.
  • For state-specific prevalence of severe joint pain, see the MMWR Surveillance Summary.
  • Learn more about joint pain and arthritis.
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Disability/Limitations and Arthritis
Leading Cause of Work Disability
  • Arthritis and other rheumatic conditions are a leading cause of work disability among US adults.3
  • In all US states, 1 in 25 working-age adults aged 18 to 64 years face work limitations they attribute to arthritis; among those with arthritis, at least 1 in 4 have work limitations. The prevalence of work limitations due to arthritis varies by state.
  • View state-specific prevalence data for work limitations.
Activity Limitation
  • Arthritis limits the activities of 23.7 million US adults. Around 44% of adults with doctor-diagnosed arthritis had arthritis-attributable activity limitations in 2013–2015.1
  • Learn more about arthritis-related disabilities and limitations.
Risk of Falls and Fall Injuries
  • Adults with arthritis were about 2.5 times more likely to have two or more falls and suffer a fall injury in the past 12 months compared with adults without arthritis.4
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Arthritis Costs
  • In 2013, the national costs of arthritis were $304 billion overall.
    • Arthritis-attributable medical costs were $140 billion.
    • Arthritis-attributable lost wages were $164 billion.
  • Learn more about the cost of arthritis in US adults.
More Data and Statistics
Related CDC Data Portals

Work directly with the data to create your own filtered datasets, customize visualizations, download data, and more.

More About Arthritis
References
  1. Barbour KE, Helmick CG, Boring MA, Brady TJ. Vital signs: prevalence of doctor-diagnosed arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitation — United States, 2013—2015. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2017;66:246–253. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm6609e1external icon.
  2. Hootman JM, Helmick CG, Barbour KE, Theis KA, Boring MA.  Updated projected prevalence of self-reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitation among US adults, 2015–2040.  Arthritis & Rheumatol. 2016;68(7):1582–1587. doi: 10.1002/art.39692. PubMed PMID: 27015600.
  3. Theis KA, Roblin D, Helmick CG, Luo R. Prevalence and causes of work disability among working-age US adults: 2011–2013. Disabil Health J. 2018;11(1):108–115. doi: 10.1016/j.dhjo.2017.04.010. PMID: 28476583.
  4. Barbour KE, Stevens JA, Helmick CG,Luo YH, Murphy LB, Hootman JM, Theis KA, Anderson LA, Baker NA, Sugerman DE. Falls and fall injuries among adults with arthritis—United States, 2012. Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2014;63(17):379-383.
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Page last reviewed: October 12, 2021
Content source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Division of Population Health