Fact · Accessibility and health
53.2million adults
During 2019 to 2021, 21.2% of U.S. adults, about 53.2 million people, reported having been diagnosed with arthritis.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“During 2019-2021, 21.2% of U.S. adults (53.2 million) reported diagnosed arthritis.”
Prevalence of Diagnosed Arthritis, United States, 2019-2021, Elizabeth A. Fallon et al., Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, 2023, Summary, What is added by this report?.
Open the original (DOI 10.15585/mmwr.mm7241a1)- What it measures
- Based on the National Health Interview Survey. The age-standardized prevalence was 18.7%, and it was higher among women (20.9%) than men (16.3%). Arthritis in the hands and fingers is one reason some people find typing painful and use dictation instead.
- What it does not show
- Self-reported doctor diagnosis. Arthritis here includes rheumatoid arthritis, gout, lupus and fibromyalgia, and the figure is not limited to the hands.