Osteoarthritis is a major global health condition affecting joints, mobility and daily function. The estimates below cover prevalence, disability, affected joints, long-term trends, regional variation and diagnosed disease in the United States, with measurement periods and populations stated explicitly.
Key Osteoarthritis Statistics
Here are the most broadly useful osteoarthritis statistics:
- In 2019, about 528 million people worldwide were living with osteoarthritis.
- Between 1990 and 2019, the global number of people living with osteoarthritis increased by 113%.
- In 2020, an estimated 595 million people worldwide had osteoarthritis, with a 95% uncertainty interval of 535–656 million.
- In 2020, global all-age osteoarthritis prevalence was 7.6%, with a 95% uncertainty interval of 6.8–8.4%.
- In 2020, 14.8% of people aged 30 years or older worldwide lived with osteoarthritis, with a 95% uncertainty interval of 13.3–16.3%.
- In 2020, global osteoarthritis prevalence among people aged 70 years or older was 38,418.9 per 100,000.
- In 2020, global age-standardized osteoarthritis prevalence was 8,058.9 per 100,000 among females, compared with 5,780.1 per 100,000 among males.
- In population-based studies through April 2020, pooled knee osteoarthritis prevalence was 22.9% among people aged 40 years or older worldwide.
- In 2020, the knee was the most common modeled osteoarthritis site globally at 4,307.4 cases per 100,000 age-standardized.
- In 2019, osteoarthritis accounted for about 19 million years lived with disability worldwide in the WHO summary of GBD 2019.
- In 2019, about 344 million people with osteoarthritis had moderate or severe disease levels that could benefit from rehabilitation.
- In 2020, osteoarthritis caused an estimated 21.7 million years lived with disability globally, with a 95% uncertainty interval of 10.2–47.6 million.
- From 1990 to 2020, the global number of osteoarthritis years lived with disability increased by 134.0%.
- In 2020, high-income Asia Pacific had the highest listed regional age-standardized prevalence at 8,632.7 per 100,000.
- In 2020, the United States had the highest national age-standardized prevalence at 8,696.1 per 100,000.
- In NHANES 2017–March 2020, 12.0% of U.S. noninstitutionalized adults aged 20 years or older had diagnosed osteoarthritis on an age-standardized basis.
- In NHANES 2017–March 2020, women had diagnosed osteoarthritis prevalence of 15.0% versus 8.5% for men.
- In NHANES 2017–March 2020, diagnosed osteoarthritis prevalence reached 34.4% among U.S. adults aged 75 years or older.
- Among U.S. adults aged 20 years or older with diagnosed arthritis in NHANES 2017–March 2020, 49.6%, or 33.2 million people, identified osteoarthritis as their subtype.
Contents
- Global osteoarthritis prevalence and population scale
- Osteoarthritis statistics by age, sex and joint
- Osteoarthritis disability and rehabilitation statistics
- Global osteoarthritis trends and regional variation
- U.S. osteoarthritis statistics by demographics and access
Global Osteoarthritis Prevalence and Population Scale
Different global estimates come from different Global Burden of Disease releases and definitions. The WHO summary of GBD 2019 estimated that about 528 million people were living with osteoarthritis in 2019 and reported a 113% increase in the global number from 1990 to 2019. WHO, “Osteoarthritis”
The GBD 2021 analysis estimated 595 million people with osteoarthritis in 2020, with a 95% uncertainty interval of 535–656 million. It estimated all-age prevalence at 7.6% globally, compared with 4.8% in 1990; among people aged 30 years or older, prevalence was 14.8% in 2020, while the estimate for working-age adults aged 30–60 years was 3.5%. Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990–2020 and projections to 2050
| Global measure | Estimate | Period and population |
|---|---|---|
| People living with osteoarthritis | 528 million | 2019, worldwide; WHO summary of GBD 2019 |
| People with osteoarthritis | 595 million (95% UI 535–656 million) | 2020, worldwide; GBD 2021 |
| All-age prevalence | 7.6% (95% UI 6.8–8.4%) | 2020, worldwide; GBD 2021 |
| Prevalence among adults aged 30+ | 14.8% (95% UI 13.3–16.3%) | 2020, worldwide; GBD 2021 |
The GBD 2021 report estimated a global age-standardized prevalence rate of 6,967.3 per 100,000 in 2021 and 606.5 million prevalent cases, with a 95% uncertainty interval of 537.9–674.4 million. These are modeled estimates, not counts from a single worldwide registry. Global, regional and national burden of osteoarthritis in 1990–2021
Osteoarthritis Statistics by Age, Sex and Affected Joint
Osteoarthritis prevalence varies substantially by age and sex. In the 2020 GBD estimate, age-standardized prevalence was 8,058.9 per 100,000 for females, with a 95% uncertainty interval of 7,251.9–8,867.9, and 5,780.1 per 100,000 for males, with a 95% uncertainty interval of 5,217.8–6,341.2. Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990–2020 and projections to 2050
| Age group or measure | Global 2020 estimate | Unit |
|---|---|---|
| Ages 25–49 | 2,983.5 | cases per 100,000 |
| Ages 50–69 | 23,237.2 | cases per 100,000 |
| Ages 70+ | 38,418.9 | cases per 100,000 |
| Females, age-standardized | 8,058.9 | cases per 100,000 |
| Males, age-standardized | 5,780.1 | cases per 100,000 |
A population-based meta-analysis of studies available through April 2020 found pooled knee osteoarthritis prevalence of 16.0% among people aged 15 years or older and 22.9% among people aged 40 years or older. Its pooled global knee osteoarthritis incidence was 203 new cases per 10,000 person-years, although diagnostic definitions varied across studies. Global, regional prevalence, incidence and risk factors of knee osteoarthritis in population-based studies
The knee was the most common modeled site in 2020 at 4,307.4 cases per 100,000 age-standardized. Hand osteoarthritis was estimated at 2,226.1 per 100,000, hip osteoarthritis at 417.7 per 100,000 and other osteoarthritis sites at 718.4 per 100,000; each figure is a GBD 2021 modeled estimate with its own uncertainty interval. Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990–2020 and projections to 2050
Osteoarthritis Disability and Rehabilitation Statistics
Prevalence does not describe the full burden of osteoarthritis. The WHO summary of GBD 2019 reported about 19 million years lived with disability, and estimated that about 344 million people had moderate or severe disease levels that could benefit from rehabilitation.
The rehabilitation figure is modeled and depends on the severity and eligibility definitions used in the cited source. WHO, “Osteoarthritis” WHO, “Musculoskeletal health”
The GBD 2021 analysis estimated 21.7 million osteoarthritis years lived with disability in 2020, with a 95% uncertainty interval of 10.2–47.6 million. The global age-standardized YLD rate was 255.0 per 100,000, while the all-age rate was 278.0 per 100,000; uncertainty intervals were 119.7–557.2 and 130.6–608.3, respectively. Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990–2020 and projections to 2050
Osteoarthritis ranked 14th among level-3 diseases for global age-standardized YLDs in 2020. Among adults aged 70 years or older, it ranked seventh as a cause of YLDs, reflecting the concentration of disability in older populations. Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990–2020 and projections to 2050
From 1990 to 2020, the modeled global YLD total increased 134.0%, while the global all-age YLD rate increased 60.1% and the age-standardized rate increased 9.5%. Site-specific all-age YLD-rate increases were 69.0% for hand osteoarthritis, 56.9% for knee osteoarthritis, 55.8% for hip osteoarthritis and 56.3% for other osteoarthritis types. Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990–2020 and projections to 2050
Global Osteoarthritis Trends and Regional Variation
The GBD 2019 site-specific analysis estimated that global prevalent cases rose from 247.51 million in 1990 to 527.81 million in 2019. Its global age-standardized prevalence rate was 6,173.38 per 100,000 in 1990 and 6,348.25 per 100,000 in 2019, with an average annual increase of 0.12%. Prevalence Trends of Site-Specific Osteoarthritis From 1990 to 2019
| Site or overall measure | Trend, 1990–2019 | Measurement |
|---|---|---|
| Overall osteoarthritis | +0.12% per year | Global age-standardized prevalence |
| Knee osteoarthritis | +0.32% per year | Global age-standardized prevalence |
| Hip osteoarthritis | +0.28% per year | Global age-standardized prevalence |
| Other sites | +0.18% per year | Global age-standardized prevalence |
| Hand osteoarthritis | −0.36% per year | Global age-standardized prevalence |
The 2020 GBD regional estimates also varied. High-income Asia Pacific had an age-standardized prevalence of 8,632.7 per 100,000, and high-income North America had 8,431.7 per 100,000.
Eastern Europe was estimated at 7,937.9 per 100,000, compared with 5,677.4 per 100,000 in southeast Asia and 5,821.0 per 100,000 in eastern sub-Saharan Africa. Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990–2020 and projections to 2050
The United States had the highest national age-standardized prevalence in the GBD 2021 2020 estimate at 8,696.1 per 100,000. Regional and national comparisons remain modeled estimates, and differences may reflect population structure, diagnosis, data availability and model assumptions. Global, regional, and national burden of osteoarthritis, 1990–2020 and projections to 2050
U.S. Osteoarthritis Statistics by Demographics and Access
CDC researchers analyzed diagnosed arthritis subtypes among noninstitutionalized U.S. adults using NHANES 2017–March 2020. The age-standardized prevalence of diagnosed osteoarthritis among adults aged 20 years or older was 12.0%, while the crude prevalence was 13.8%; these survey measures describe diagnosed disease, not all undiagnosed osteoarthritis or people in institutional settings. CDC, “Distribution of Arthritis Subtypes Among Adults With Arthritis in the United States, 2017–March 2020”
| U.S. population, age 20+ unless stated | Age-standardized diagnosed prevalence | NHANES period |
|---|---|---|
| All adults | 12.0% | 2017–March 2020 |
| Women | 15.0% | 2017–March 2020 |
| Men | 8.5% | 2017–March 2020 |
| Ages 20–44 | 3.1% | 2017–March 2020 |
| Ages 45–54 | 11.1% | 2017–March 2020 |
| Ages 55–64 | 22.6% | 2017–March 2020 |
| Ages 65–74 | 28.4% | 2017–March 2020 |
| Ages 75+ | 34.4% | 2017–March 2020 |
By race and ethnicity, diagnosed osteoarthritis prevalence was 13.7% among non-Hispanic White adults, 8.7% among non-Hispanic Black adults, 5.6% among non-Hispanic Asian adults and 6.7% among Mexican American adults. These are NHANES age-standardized estimates and should not be interpreted as causal differences. CDC, “Distribution of Arthritis Subtypes Among Adults With Arthritis in the United States, 2017–March 2020”
Education and insurance status were also reported, but they are measures of association and diagnosis context rather than causes. Prevalence was 12.3% among college graduates versus 7.4% among adults with less than high school education, and 5.5% among uninsured adults versus 12.4% among insured adults. CDC, “Distribution of Arthritis Subtypes Among Adults With Arthritis in the United States, 2017–March 2020”
Among U.S. adults aged 20 years or older with diagnosed arthritis, 49.6%, representing 33.2 million people, identified osteoarthritis as their subtype. The CDC cautions that estimates across surveys should not be directly compared because sampling, collection methods and survey items differ. CDC, “Distribution of Arthritis Subtypes Among Adults With Arthritis in the United States, 2017–March 2020”