Global Study Reveals Women Experience More Pain Than Men
A significant new global study indicates that women report experiencing more pain than men. This finding holds true across all types of pain measured, highlighting ongoing concerns about the gender pain gap, where women are often less likely to receive appropriate pain relief treatments.
Researchers from various countries collaborated on what they describe as “one of the largest harmonization efforts in pain epidemiology to date.” The study collected data from over 6 million individuals across 118 countries, spanning ages from five to over 100, between 1990 and 2025.
Published in Nature Medicine, the research examined the global distribution of pain, which stands as a leading cause of disability, and how it varies throughout human life.
The findings revealed that women self-reported higher levels of pain across eleven body parts—such as the head, shoulders, back, and abdomen—compared to men. Notably, women reported significantly more headache, facial, and abdominal pain.
For both genders, pain levels saw the steepest increase before turning 55, with a peak occurring at or after age 75, particularly for back, hip, and knee pain, suggesting a significant portion of lifetime pain burden emerges during working-age adulthood.
Approximately 40% of participants indicated experiencing back pain, while only 2% reported facial pain as the least common type.
Those living in regions with low rankings on the Human Development Index showed substantially higher late-life bodily pain prevalence, with nearly double the incidence of low back pain in older age compared to other regions.
High-intensity pain seemed to peak around age 50, while generalized pain peaked around 70. The study authors commented, “While the likelihood of experiencing any pain increases with age, the more debilitating types of pain tend to rise and then decline.” They pointed out that this distinction has direct implications for where prevention and care should be focused throughout life.
The authors also noted that current estimates rely heavily on formal diagnoses, which often overlook individuals with limited healthcare access. Therefore, analyzing self-reported pain can better inform monitoring and preventive efforts.
There were distinct patterns based on pain types: headaches and facial pain tended to peak earlier in life, whereas musculoskeletal pain generally increased with age. Within this category, upper body pain peaked around midlife before declining, while lower body pain continued rising, reflecting the cumulative stress on weight-bearing joints.
The study attributed 18.3% of the global pain burden to factors like smoking, obesity, and low household incomes, with regional variations ranging from 12.6% in sub-Saharan Africa to 27.1% in Eastern Europe.
Some limitations were acknowledged, such as differing pain measurement methods and uneven regional representation, but these factors did not significantly alter the overall trends observed.
Professor Andrew Horne from the University of Edinburgh emphasized the study’s importance, noting that it clearly shows women suffer more pain at all measured body sites. He expressed that the data reinforces the validity of the gender pain gap and the need for increased recognition and proper treatment of women’s pain.
Professor Rebeccah Slater of the University of Oxford echoed this sentiment, highlighting the inconsistency where women face more pain, yet frequently have their pain dismissed or inadequately treated. She remarked, “This extensive study reveals the consistent higher burden of pain in women across diverse populations worldwide.”
