A large observational study analyzed self-reported pain data from over 6 million people across 118 countries, revealing global patterns of pain distribution and its association with age, sex, and country development.
Source: Human observational study, 6.1 million individuals in 118 countries. It followed people and found a link. A link is a lead, not proof that one thing causes the other.
What was found
Pain prevalence varied across anatomical sites, ranging from about 2% for facial pain to 40% for back pain.
Pain was consistently higher in women across all 11 anatomical sites studied.
The prevalence of pain increased most steeply before age 55 years.
Individuals in countries with the lowest Human Development Index (HDI) experienced substantially higher late-life prevalence of any bodily pain compared to those in the highest HDI countries. Low back pain approached twice the prevalence at the oldest ages in these lower HDI regions.
Globally, 18.3% of the pain burden across anatomical sites was attributed to three modifiable risk factors: smoking, obesity, and low income. This attribution varied regionally, from 12.6% in sub-Saharan Africa to 27.1% in eastern Europe.
How it was done
Researchers harmonized individual-level self-reported pain data from 6,125,459 participants.
The data came from 902 population-based sources across 118 countries.
The study established global reference trajectories of pain and implemented them in an open-access benchmarking platform.
What it does not show
This was an observational study, so it shows associations and not that one factor causes another.
The factors underlying pain in lower-HDI settings remain poorly characterized by this study.
What happens next
These reference trajectories provide a common framework for defining and comparing pain burden and are intended to inform more equitable global surveillance and prevention.
Who was talking about it
- News-Medical on the news (2026-10-08): News-Medical reported on a study that found a global divide in how pain and aging are experienced across 118 countries. See the post
The source
This is news, reported from the source above. It is not medical advice and not a recommendation. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before you change any medicine or supplement.