Arthritis costs Canada $142 billion a year, new report says
Arthritis costs Canada $142.4 billion every year, a figure that had never been fully measured until now.
A new report by Arthritis Society Canada, commissioned from the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis, puts a comprehensive dollar value on the cost of arthritis in Canada: economic, social and human.
The Economic and Social Burden of Arthritis in Canada report examines the current and projected burden of arthritis from 2025 to 2055. Most cost-of-illness studies look only at disease prevalence and economic impact. This one adds social value loss, the dollar-equivalent wellbeing loss tied to pain, disability, reduced participation, lower independence and lower life satisfaction.
"Arthritis is an economic and social crisis, placing an enormous burden on our society," said Trish Barbato, president and CEO of Arthritis Society Canada. "We need to make arthritis a national priority and provide greater investment in research, prevention, treatment and policies to help people live with less pain and greater independence."
The report projects the total annual economic and social burden will rise to $222.3 billion by 2055. The number of Canadians living with arthritis is expected to climb from more than six million today to at least 10 million over the same period.
A growing drain on the economy
The $142.4-billion annual cost is equal to close to five per cent of Canada's gross domestic product and more than one-quarter of the estimated federal budget for 2026-27.
The economic burden alone was an estimated $45.9 billion in 2025 and is projected to reach $71.3 billion a year by 2055. Productivity losses were the largest contributor at $25.2 billion in 2025, covering absenteeism, presenteeism, reduced effectiveness at work and early withdrawal from the labour force. Direct health care costs accounted for about $14.8 billion. Private disability costs added another $5.9 billion.
By 2055, productivity losses are projected to reach $35.3 billion, or 49.5 per cent of the total economic burden.
The cost of pain and disability
The economic numbers do not capture the full picture. Arthritis affects a person's ability to work, take part in activities, stay independent and maintain relationships and quality of life. Social value loss puts a price on that for the first time.
In 2025, social value loss tied to arthritis was estimated at $96.5 billion, more than twice the economic burden. By 2055 it is projected to reach $151.1 billion a year.
Women with arthritis carry double the social burden of men. Women account for 60 per cent of all joint replacement surgeries in Canada and report higher rates of pain, fatigue, stress and mental health challenges.
"The data is undeniable. Arthritis is a national crisis," said Siân Bevan, chief science officer at Arthritis Society Canada. "For the first time, we are capturing not just the economic toll, but the extraordinary human cost of living with chronic pain, and that changes everything about how urgently we must respond."
The need for action
Arthritis Action Now: The Plan to End Arthritis lays out a roadmap to prevent, better treat and eventually cure arthritis through advocacy and research investment. The society argues that investing now will lower the pressure arthritis places on the economy and the health care system.
Arthritis Society Canada represents more than six million people in Canada living with arthritis. It is the country's largest charitable funder of arthritis research. More information is at arthritis.ca.