Chronic Pain Statistics (2026): U.S. Prevalence and Demographics
Roughly one in four U.S. adults lives with chronic pain. The latest CDC data put prevalence at 24.3% of adults, with 8.5% experiencing high-impact chronic pain that limits daily life. Back pain is the single largest contributor. Here is the 2026 data, from primary sources only.
- 24.3% of U.S. adults had chronic pain in 2023, the most recent CDC/NCHS figure.
- 8.5% had high-impact chronic pain that frequently limits life or work activities.
- Chronic pain is more common in women (25.4%) than men (23.2%).
- American Indian and Alaska Native adults had the highest rate at 30.7%.
- Prevalence climbs steeply with age, reaching about 36% among adults 65 and older.
- Chronic pain is among the most common reasons adults seek medical care.
- Back pain is the top pain site and a leading driver of chronic and high-impact chronic pain.
What's in This Guide
1 How Common Chronic Pain Is
Chronic pain, defined as pain on most days or every day for three months or longer, is one of the most widespread health conditions in the country. The most current national figure comes from the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics, using the 2023 National Health Interview Survey.
That 24.3% represents roughly one in four American adults. Chronic pain is not a niche condition. It is a leading reason people see a doctor, and it is linked with decreased quality of life, higher anxiety and depression, opioid misuse, and unmet mental health needs. The scale of the problem is a big part of why interventional pain management exists as a specialty in the first place.
If pain has been part of your daily life for three months or more, it is worth a specialist evaluation to find the cause and the right treatment plan.
Explore interventional pain managementSource: CDC / National Center for Health Statistics, Data Brief 518
2 High-Impact Chronic Pain
Not all chronic pain is equally disabling. Public health researchers separate out high-impact chronic pain, the pain severe enough to frequently restrict work, social life, and self-care. This is where the greatest burden and the greatest need concentrate.
High-impact chronic pain is defined as chronic pain that limits life or work activities on most days or every day. In 2023, 8.5% of adults met this threshold, up from 6.9% in 2021. Like overall chronic pain, it was more common among women, older adults, and American Indian and Alaska Native adults. This is the group for whom effective, coordinated pain management makes the biggest difference, and for whom a full-spectrum practice spanning conservative care, interventional procedures, and surgery has the most to offer.
Desert Spine and Pain Analysis: The High-Impact Share
Two CDC figures together show how concentrated the burden is. Overall chronic pain sits at 24.3% of adults, while high-impact chronic pain sits at 8.5%. That means roughly 35% of everyone with chronic pain has the high-impact, life-limiting form (8.5 divided by 24.3). Put differently, about one in three chronic pain sufferers is not just uncomfortable but substantially restricted in work and daily life, which is exactly the population that benefits most from advanced, individualized care.
Formula: high-impact prevalence (8.5%) divided by overall chronic pain prevalence (24.3%) = ~35%. Calculation and interpretation original to Desert Spine and Pain. Source: CDC/NCHS Data Brief 518.
Source: CDC / National Center for Health Statistics, Data Brief 518
Learn about ablation and stimulation therapies3 Who Is Most Affected
Chronic pain does not fall evenly across the population. The 2023 data reveal clear and persistent disparities by sex, race and ethnicity, and geography.
Women were significantly more likely than men to have both chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain. The gap by race and ethnicity is even wider: at 30.7%, American Indian and Alaska Native adults had nearly triple the 11.8% rate seen among Asian adults. Geography matters too. Chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain both increased as urbanization decreased, meaning rural adults carried a heavier burden than those in large metro areas.
Source: CDC / National Center for Health Statistics, Data Brief 518
Explore the conditions we treat4 Chronic Pain and Age
If there is a single strongest predictor of chronic pain, it is age. Prevalence climbs steadily across the adult lifespan, and the pattern has held across every survey year.
The 2019 NCHS data show the gradient clearly: chronic pain rose from 8.5% among adults aged 18 to 29 to 14.6% at 30 to 44, 25.8% at 45 to 64, and 30.8% at 65 and older. By 2023, the oldest group had climbed to roughly 36%, meaning more than one in three seniors lives with chronic pain. Because pain, disability, and age move together, an aging population means the absolute number of people needing pain care will keep growing, which is a core reason our practice offers care across the full spectrum.
Source: CDC / National Center for Health Statistics, Data Brief 390 | CDC / NCHS Data Brief 518
Meet Dr. Greenwald: spine surgeon and neurosurgeon5 The Multi-Year Trend
Tracking chronic pain over time is one of the reasons the NHIS uses the same questions every year. The trend line tells an important, and somewhat complicated, story.
For several years, overall chronic pain prevalence held near 20%, and CDC analyses of 2016 to 2021 data even noted that high-impact chronic pain had been decreasing, moving toward the Healthy People 2030 goal. The 2023 figure of 24.3% represents a notable jump. Because survey methods and recall periods have shifted over time, direct year-to-year comparisons require care, but the latest reading is the highest recorded, and researchers have pointed to an aging population, pandemic-related healthcare disruptions, and better recognition of chronic pain as likely contributors.
A note on reading the trend
Different CDC reports use different survey years and slightly different definitions, so you may see chronic pain described as both "stable" and "rising" depending on the source and time window. Both can be accurate for their specific period. The responsible summary: chronic pain hovered around one in five adults through 2021, and the most recent 2023 data show a rise to nearly one in four. We report the latest official figure and flag the measurement caveat rather than overstating a single trend.
Source: CDC MMWR, chronic pain 2019–2021 | CDC / NCHS Data Brief 518 (2023)
See conservative, non-invasive care options6 Where Back Pain Fits
Chronic pain is an umbrella that covers many sites, but one dominates. Back pain is the single most common location of pain among U.S. adults and one of the biggest contributors to the chronic pain total.
Because the back is the most common site of pain, and because low back pain is the world's leading cause of disability, the spine sits at the center of the chronic pain story. For the full breakdown of back pain specifically, see our roundup of back pain statistics. For how back pain becomes chronic and why it recurs, see our data on chronic back pain statistics. A practice that treats the spine across the full range, from conservative care through complex surgery, is treating the largest single component of America's chronic pain burden.
Source: CDC / NCHS, pain by site | World Health Organization
Book a consultation: (602) 566-95007 Every Statistic in One Table
| Statistic | Figure | Source | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. adults with chronic pain | 24.3% | CDC/NCHS Data Brief 518 | 2023 |
| U.S. adults with high-impact chronic pain | 8.5% | CDC/NCHS Data Brief 518 | 2023 |
| Women with chronic pain | 25.4% | CDC/NCHS Data Brief 518 | 2023 |
| Men with chronic pain | 23.2% | CDC/NCHS Data Brief 518 | 2023 |
| Women with high-impact chronic pain | 9.6% | CDC/NCHS Data Brief 518 | 2023 |
| Men with high-impact chronic pain | 7.3% | CDC/NCHS Data Brief 518 | 2023 |
| AI/AN adults with chronic pain (highest) | 30.7% | CDC/NCHS Data Brief 518 | 2023 |
| Asian adults with chronic pain (lowest) | 11.8% | CDC/NCHS Data Brief 518 | 2023 |
| Adults 65+ with chronic pain | ~36% | CDC/NCHS Data Brief 518 | 2023 |
| Adults 18–29 with chronic pain | 8.5% | CDC/NCHS Data Brief 390 | 2019 |
| Adults 45–64 with chronic pain | 25.8% | CDC/NCHS Data Brief 390 | 2019 |
| Adults with chronic pain (2021) | 20.9% (51.6M) | CDC MMWR | 2021 |
| Adults with high-impact chronic pain (2021) | 6.9% (17.1M) | CDC MMWR | 2021 |
| Adults with chronic pain (2016) | 20.4% (~50M) | CDC MMWR | 2016 |
| Chronic pain definition threshold | 3+ months | CDC/NCHS | 2023 |
| Most common pain site among adults | Back (39%) | CDC/NCHS Data Brief 415 | 2019 |
| Global leading cause of disability | Low back pain | WHO | 2023 |
Frequently Asked Questions
How many Americans have chronic pain?
What is high-impact chronic pain?
Who is most affected by chronic pain?
Is chronic pain getting more common in the U.S.?
Where does back pain rank among chronic pain conditions?
Methodology and Sources
Every statistic in this article is drawn from a Tier 1 primary source: a government agency, a peer-reviewed study, or a major research institution. No blog-to-blog citations are used. Where estimates vary by methodology or survey year, ranges and dates are shown rather than a single blended figure.
Primary sources:
- CDC / National Center for Health Statistics, Data Brief 518 (November 2024): chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain in U.S. adults, 2023, by demographic characteristics and urbanization.
- CDC / MMWR: chronic pain among adults, United States, 2019–2021 (prevalence counts and demographic disparities).
- CDC / NCHS Data Brief 390 (2020): chronic pain and high-impact chronic pain, 2019, by age group.
- CDC / NCHS Data Brief 415: pain by site among U.S. adults (back as most common site).
- World Health Organization: low back pain as the leading global cause of disability.
This article is for general educational purposes and is not individual medical advice. Statistics describe populations, not any one person. If you are living with chronic pain, consult a qualified provider for evaluation and a personalized plan. Chronic pain is a sensitive topic and is associated with mental health effects; if you are struggling, please reach out to a licensed professional or a crisis line for support.
Media and press: Journalists and researchers are welcome to cite these statistics with attribution to the original primary source named alongside each figure, and a link to this page as the compiled reference. For commentary from a board-certified spine surgeon and neurosurgeon, contact Desert Spine and Pain in Phoenix, Arizona at (602) 566-9500.
