Pain Prevalence Higher in Women, Increases Most Rapidly Before 55

A sweeping global study of over 6 million people brings fresh clarity to when and how pain escalates—and why women bear a heavier burden.

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The scale and key findings of the study

On October 5, 2026, researchers published in Nature Medicine a global analysis of self‑reported pain from 6,125,459 individuals across 118 countries, spanning ages 5 to over 100 and covering data from 1990 to 2025 . Women, who made up 55% of participants, consistently reported higher pain prevalence than men across all 11 body sites studied, including head, face, neck or shoulder, back, abdomen, hip, knee, hand or wrist, elbow, chest, and foot or ankle . Back pain was the most common complaint, affecting roughly 40% of participants, while facial pain was least common at about 2% .

Age trends: rapid rise before midlife

Pain prevalence rose with age, but not steadily. The sharpest increase occurred before age 55, particularly for musculoskeletal sites such as hips, back, and knees . High‑intensity pain peaked around age 50, while generalized pain—defined as pain in four of five body regions—peaked around age 70 . These patterns challenge assumptions that pain simply builds gradually into old age and highlight midlife as a critical window.