Global burden and economic cost of musculoskeletal disorders in the working-age population, 1990-2023
Authors' conclusion
The working-age MSK burden is large, rising, dominated economically by productivity loss and concentrated in developed and rapidly industrialising economies. Weight management and occupational ergonomics are priority targets for protecting workforce health.
Study context
- Population
- Working-age (15–64 years) population with musculoskeletal (MSK) disorders across 204 countries and both sexes, 1990–2023204 countries
Methodological detailstrends, Socio-demographic Index (SDI) association, inequality, decomposition, risk-attributable fractions, projections to 2050, cross-national model of direct and indirect costs
- Trends
- Socio-demographic Index (SDI) association
- Inequality
- Decomposition
- Risk-attributable fractions
- Projections to 2050
- Cross-national model of direct and indirect costs
Primary result
As reported in the abstract
Working-age MSK DALYs · 2023
Disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs)
119.4 million
95% UI 82.1–167.2
Change vs 1990
+77.2%
Share of DALYs nonfatal
98.6%
Further findings
Prevalent cases · 2023
- Prevalent cases
- 1.22 billion
Distribution of burden by sex, age and SDI
- Correlation with SDI
- r = 0.59
- Higher in women, rose with age, highest in high-SDI countries
- Differed only modestly across SDI quintiles
Economic cost
- Cost (international dollars)
- 5.27 trillion (95% UI 3.70-7.27)
- Indirect share
- 89.0%
- Share borne by high-SDI countries
- 77.6%
High body mass index attributable fractions
- Rose
Projected global DALY count · 2050
- Projected rise
- 23.6% (19.7%-26.2% across 5 models)
- Age-standardised rate change in every SDI stratum
- <6%
Original publication
Global burden and economic cost of musculoskeletal disorders in the working-age population, 1990-2023. Ann Rheum Dis. Published 4 November 2026. doi:10.
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