Data and Statistics

National Statistics

Based on 2010-2012 data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)1, an estimated

52.5 million (22.7%) of adults have self-reported doctor-diagnosed arthritis.
22.7 million (9.8% of all adults) have arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitation.

Based on 2010-2012 data from the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS)2, a projected

78 million (26%) adults aged 18 years or older will have doctor-diagnosed arthritis by the year 2040.
An estimated 35 million adults (44% of those with arthritis) will report arthritis-attributable activity limitations by the year 2040.

Additional Information

The best source for national arthritis prevalence estimates is the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), an annual survey conducted by the National Center for Health Statistics. Each year, the NHIS samples U.S. households and gathers information on select adult and child members living in each household. Estimates of health conditions and behaviors from the NHIS are representative of the U.S. civilian, non-institutionalized population. Read more about the NHIS surveillance.

References

Barbour KE, Helmick CG, Theis KA, Murphy LB, Hootman JM, Brady TJ, Cheng YJ. Prevalence of doctor-diagnosed arthritis and arthritis-attributable activity limitation-United States, 2010-2012. MMWR 2013;62 (44):869-873. html [PDF-542KB]
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 & Rheumatology. 2016 Mar 25. [Epub ahead of print]. doi: 10.1002/art.39692. PubMed PMID: 27015600. abstract