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Arthritis statistics: Prevalence, demographics, and impact

Nearly 1 in 5 American adults have arthritis. See arthritis stats by age, sex, and race to find out if you're at risk.
By | Updated on Apr. 13, 2026 Medically reviewed by Anne Jacobson, MD, MPH & Jesse P. Houghton, MD, FACG
Two hands, one rubbing the other: Arthritis statistics

Key takeaways

  • Arthritis, or joint inflammation, may occur as a result of autoimmune conditions, aging, overuse, injury, or genetics.

  • Arthritis is a leading cause of pain, disability, and healthcare costs in the U.S.

  • Lifestyle interventions, medications, office procedures, and surgery are a few of the ways to treat arthritis.

In this article:

Many people associate arthritis with aging, but it’s a condition that affects people of all ages worldwide. Let’s take a look at some arthritis statistics to better understand what this chronic condition is, who it affects, how to prevent it, and how it can be treated. 

What is arthritis?

Arthritis, or joint disease, is inflammation of one or more joints, such as the knees, knuckles, wrists, or ankles. Symptoms of arthritis include joint pain, swelling, and stiffness. 

There are more than 100 different types of arthritis. Osteoarthritis, a type commonly associated with aging, is the most common overall. Other types of arthritis, like rheumatoid arthritis and lupus-related arthritis, are autoimmune diseases that can affect people of different ages. Rheumatoid arthritis is the most common autoimmune form of arthritis.

Arthritis is typically diagnosed after a series of physical exams, blood tests, and X-rays. Doctors will look for signs and symptoms of different forms of arthritis and may run tests to determine what kind of arthritis someone has. Changes suggestive of arthritis are seen on X-rays and other imaging studies. Blood tests may be used to check for antibodies that indicate autoimmune forms of arthritis. 

How common is arthritis?

Most common types of arthritis

  • Researchers have identified more than 100 conditions that cause joint inflammation. (Cureus, 2024) 
  • Osteoarthritis is the most common joint disorder in the U.S. and makes up more than 41% of all arthritis diagnoses. (CDC, 2025)
  • Other common types of arthritis include rheumatoid arthritis (about 19% of arthritis diagnoses) and psoriatic arthritis (1.7%). (CDC, 2025)

Below are statistics for some of the most common forms of arthritis.

Osteoarthritis 

  • More than 7% of the global population has osteoarthritis, which is more than 528 million people. (Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 2022)
  • Osteoarthritis affects up to 15% of U.S. adults. (BMC Public Health, 2024)
  • In U.S. adults aged 45 or older, up to 30% have osteoarthritis in the knee, 27% have it in the hand, and 27% have it in the hip. (Cureus, 2024)
  • About 47% of women and 40% of men will develop osteoarthritis (Cureus, 2024).
  • More than 32 million U.S. adults have osteoarthritis. (Osteoarthritis Action Alliance, 2025) 
  • Sixty-two percent of people with osteoarthritis are women. (Osteoarthritis Action Alliance, 2025)
  • More than half of all people with knee osteoarthritis will eventually have a total knee replacement. (Osteoarthritis Action Alliance, 2025) 
  • The global prevalence of osteoarthritis increased by 132% between 1990 and 2020. (Medicine, 2025)
  • South Asian older adults experience knee osteoarthritis more than older adults of other races and ethnicities. (Osteoarthritis and Cartilage Open, 2026)

Rheumatoid arthritis 

  • About 0.25% of the global population has rheumatoid arthritis, which is more than 20 million people. (BMC Public Health, 2024)
  • Rheumatoid arthritis affects about 1% of the U.S. population. Some ethnic groups, including the Pima and Papago tribes of Arizona, have a higher prevalence of more than 5%. (Current Opinions in Rheumatology, 2021)
  • Rheumatoid arthritis is less common in North Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. (Current Opinions in Rheumatology, 2021)
  • Black people experience the highest rates of rheumatoid arthritis in the U.S. (BMC Public Health, 2024)
  • Rheumatoid arthritis risk increases with age. (CDC, 2025)

Gout 

  • More than 55 million people around the world have gout. (Lancet Rheumatology, 2024)
  • More than 3% of U.S. adults have gout. (StatPearls, 2025) 
  • Gout is more common among Black people than White people. (StatPearls, 2025)
  • The prevalence of gout increased by up to 64% between 1990 and 2019. (Medicine, 2025)
  • Having gout increases the risk of dying from heart disease, kidney disease, digestive disease, or dementia. (StatPearls, 2025)

Juvenile arthritis 

Systemic lupus erythematosus (lupus)

  • More than 1.5 million Americans have lupus. (Lupus Foundation of America, 2025)
  • More than 5 million people around the world have lupus. (Lupus Foundation of America, 2025)
  • Lupus affects women more than men by a rate of 10 to 1. (MedlinePlus, 2025)

Psoriatic arthritis

  • Up to 3% of the global population has psoriasis, and up to 30% of people with psoriasis develop psoriatic arthritis. (National Psoriasis Foundation, 2022)
  • In most cases, psoriatic skin disease occurs before psoriatic arthritis. About 17% of people with psoriasis develop arthritis before their skin is affected, which can complicate diagnosis. (StatPearls, 2024)
  • One-third to one-half of all people with psoriatic arthritis have a close relative with psoriasis. (StatPearls, 2024)
  • About 0.3% of U.S. adults have been diagnosed with psoriatic arthritis. (CDC, 2025)

Arthritis statistics by age

  • Arthritis gets increasingly common with age. About 4% of people aged 18 to 34 have arthritis compared to nearly 54% of people aged 75 and older. (Adults, CDC, 2024)
  • The prevalence of arthritis is 11.5% for those aged 35 to 49, 29% for those aged 50 to 64, and 44% for those aged 65 to 74. (Adults, CDC, 2024)
  • Adults aged 45 and older make up more than 88% of all adults with arthritis in the U.S. (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR), 2023)

Arthritis statistics by race and ethnicity

  • People aged 18 and older who identify as multi-racial or a race other than Black, White, Asian, or Hispanic have the highest prevalence of arthritis at 22.5%. (Adults, CDC, 2024)
  • 20.7% of non-Hispanic white people have arthritis. (Adults, CDC, 2024)
  • 19.2% of non-Hispanic Black people have arthritis. (Adults, CDC, 2024)
  • 14.6% of Hispanic people have arthritis. (Adults, CDC, 2024)
  • 11.3% of non-Hispanic Asian people have arthritis. (Adults, CDC, 2024)
  • Indigenous Americans are most likely to experience severe arthritis pain (39.1%), followed by non-Hispanic Black (36.4%) and Hispanic (35.7%) adults. (Arthritis Care & Research, 2024)

Arthritis statistics by sex

Arthritis and overall health

  • As many as 88% of people with arthritis say the condition affects their quality of life. (SingleCare, 2021) 
  • 54% of arthritis survey respondents reported moderate to severe arthritis pain. (SingleCare, 2021)
  • 58% of survey respondents reported that arthritis has had a moderate to significant impact on their lives. (SingleCare, 2021) 
  • 25.7 million U.S. adults are limited physically by their arthritis. (Arthritis, CDC, 2024) 
  • More than 560,000 hospitalizations in the U.S. in 2017 involved a flare of rheumatoid arthritis. (Cureus, 2020)
  • Approximately 58% of people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) have arthritis, making it the most common comorbid condition associated with joint disease. (MMWR, 2023) 
  • Other common comorbid conditions include dementia (56%), a disability (55%), stroke (53%), heart disease (52%), diabetes (43%), and cancer (43%). (MMWR, 2023) 
  • People with obesity are 66% more likely to have arthritis than people with underweight. (MMWR, 2023)
  • Almost 1 in 3 adults diagnosed with arthritis say they experience severe joint pain. (Arthritis, CDC, 2024)
  • Globally, osteoarthritis is the 15th highest cause of years lived with disability. (Osteoarthritis and Cartilage, 2022)
  • Nearly 30% of adults with arthritis say they’re physically inactive even though regular activity is recommended for managing arthritis. (Arthritis, CDC, 2024)
  • Osteoarthritis increases the risk of heart disease by 50%, and 1 in 3 people with osteoarthritis have at least five comorbid conditions. (Osteoarthritis Action Alliance, 2025) 

The cost of arthritis

  • Medical care and lost job earnings related to arthritis amount to more than $300 billion every year. (Arthritis, CDC, 2024) 
  • Osteoarthritis makes up about 45% of the economic burden attributed to arthritis. (Osteoarthritis Action Alliance, 2025) 
  • Adults with arthritis received more than 55% of all opioids prescribed in the U.S. in 2015. (Mortality and Morbidity Weekly, 2023) 
  • People with osteoarthritis are less likely to be employed than people without osteoarthritis. (Osteoarthritis Action Alliance, 2025) 
  • The average person with osteoarthritis spends about $11,000 on related medical expenses each year. (Osteoarthritis Action Alliance, 2025) 
  • The average person with rheumatoid arthritis spends about $3,400 on related medical expenses each year. (ACR Open Rheumatology, 2024)
  • Biologic treatments for rheumatoid arthritis cost $12,500–$36,000 annually. (ACR Open Rheumatology, 2024)
  • Caregiver productivity loss is an underreported economic burden associated with arthritis. (PharmacoEconomics, 2025)
  • Musculoskeletal conditions — including arthritis, spine disorders, and osteoporosis — cause about 364 million lost work days in the U.S. each year. That averages to 10 days per worker. (Orthopaedic Research Society)
  • About half (46%) of people with arthritis don’t receive insurance coverage for their treatment or care. (SingleCare, 2021)

Causes of arthritis

Rheumatic diseases like arthritis are complex and can have numerous causes. Autoimmune diseases, injuries, infections, normal wear and tear on joints, and genetics can cause it. 

“Most commonly, arthritis is seen in adults over age 65,” says Tom Biernacki, DPM, a board-certified foot and ankle surgeon and podiatrist in Berkley, Michigan. “It is more common in people who are very active, such as people who are on their feet all day at work. Other risk factors include people who are overweight and people who have less muscle mass compared to their body weight. Unfortunately, as we all get older, on average, we get heavier, and our muscles get weaker. This will lead to increased wear and tear of cartilage and eventually bone-on-bone rubbing. This does eventually catch up to most people who develop enough risk factors.”

Arthritis prevention 

It may not be possible to prevent arthritis entirely, but there are some things you can do to reduce your chances of developing it. Exercising regularly is important to help keep your muscles strong and your joints limber. This will also help prevent injuries. Maintaining a healthy body weight is also important because there’s less pressure on weight-bearing joints. Other ways to help prevent arthritis include stretching regularly and getting routine check-ups to make sure your joints are staying healthy.

Treating arthritis

There’s currently no cure for arthritis, but it can be managed through medication and various therapies. Painkillers and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medications may help ease arthritis pain. Corticosteroids can suppress the immune system and reduce inflammation. For conditions like rheumatoid arthritis or lupus, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) can stop the immune system from attacking healthy joints. Biologic response modifiers target protein molecules involved in the immune response and help reduce inflammation. 

“Inflammation can be well controlled with anti-inflammatories, but this is usually a supplement and not the main treatment,” Dr. Biernacki says. “This should function as an assistive treatment, and not the core treatment.” 

Many people turn to herbal medications and supplements to help with their arthritis. The two most commonly used supplements for joint pain and arthritis are glucosamine-chondroitin and turmeric (curcumin). There are several studies showing benefits from these supplements, although not all of the studies showed a positive result, and not everyone will show the same improvement.

Physical therapy, exercise, and a healthy lifestyle are cornerstones of arthritis treatment. For people who have not found relief with other methods, surgical procedures are also available for some forms of arthritis. 

Arthritis questions and answers

What country has the most cases of arthritis?

One study indicates that the United States has the highest prevalence of arthritis, especially osteoarthritis.

What percent of the U.S. population has arthritis?

Up to 27% of U.S. adults have some form of arthritis. 

How many new cases of arthritis are there per year?

The incidence of rheumatoid arthritis in the U.S. is 40–70 cases per 100,000 people. The prevalence of rheumatoid arthritis is predicted to rise by as much as 1% each year. 

What is the average age of getting arthritis?

The average age of getting arthritis varies depending on the type of arthritis, but most people develop the condition between the ages of 30 and 50. 

Why is arthritis more common in females?

Once women reach menopause, estrogen levels drop, and estrogen helps fight cartilage and joint inflammation. Women also have more flexible joints than men, which increases their risk of getting arthritis. Autoimmune conditions and obesity, both of which are more common in women, also increase the risk of arthritis. 

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