Quick Stats on Arthritis

Prevalence

• 46.4 million adults in the United States have doctor-diagnosed arthritis (just over 1 in 5 adults). Read more.
   
• The percentage of adults with arthritis ranges from 22% in Hawaii to 35% in West Virginia. State median is 27% in 2005. View the prevalence data for each state—list of states—clickable map.
   
• Arthritis affects all race and ethnic groups: 37.2 million white adults, 4.6 million black adults, 3.1 million Hispanic adults, and 1.6 million adults of other races have arthritis. Read more.
   
• The risk of arthritis increases with age and is more common among women than men. Read more.
   
• In all U.S. states, working-age adults (18-64 years old) face work limitations they attribute to arthritis; the prevalence of work limitations due to arthritis varies by state. Read more.
   
• An estimated 294,000 children under age 18 have some form of arthritis or rheumatic condition, this represents approximately 1 in every 250 children. abstract – arthritis type table – state table

Impact

• Arthritis is the most common cause of disability in the United States. Read more. Nearly 19 million adults say that arthritis limits their usual activities in some way. Read more.
   
• State-specific prevalence estimates of arthritis-attributable work limitation show a high impact of arthritis on working-age (18-64 years) adults in all U.S. states, ranging from a low of 3.4% to a high of 15% of 1 in 2 adults with arthritis in this age group. Read more. State maps relating to this publication are available. Map 1 and Map 2
   
• 8.2 million working aged U.S. adults (about 1 in 20) report work limitations due to arthritis or joint symptoms. Read more.
   
• Blacks with arthritis have more activity limitation than whites. Blacks and Hispanics with arthritis have more work limitation and severe joint pain from arthritis than whites. Read more.

Cost

• In 2003, the total cost attributed to arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in the United States was 128 billion dollars, up from 86.2 billion dollars in 1997. ($80.8 billion in medical care expenditures and $47 billion in earnings losses). Read more.
   
• Medical expenditures (direct costs) for arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in 2003 were 80.8 billion dollars, up from 51.1 billion in 1997. Read more.
   
• Earnings losses (indirect costs) for arthritis and other rheumatic conditions in 2003 were 47 billion dollars, up from 35.1 billion in 1997. Read more.
   
• States ranged from $121 million in Wyoming to $8.4 billion in California. Read more.

Interventions

• Effective strategies exist to reduce the impact of arthritis. Read more.
   
• Anticipating employment disability due to arthritis and addressing employment barriers through increased education, awareness, workplace accommodations, and other interventions can help reduce arthritis disability in the U.S. workforce. Read more.*

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