In 2022, 13.5% of the population of Switzerland suffered from arthrosis or arthritis and 4.1% suffered from osteoporosis. A total of 15.3% of inhabitants were living with at least one of these conditions. This is an increase on the 14.1% of 2017 which can be attributed to demographic trends.
Musculoskeletal diseases increase generally with age. In 2022, 35.2% of Swiss inhabitants aged 75 or over suffered from arthrosis or arthritis and 15.6% had osteoporosis. Arthrosis, arthritis and osteoporosis are much more common among women (arthrosis and arthritis 16.9%, osteoporosis 7.0%) than among men (arthrosis and arthritis 9.9%, osteoporosis 1.1%). Women aged 75 or over are five times as likely to have osteoporosis as men in the same age category (24.6% versus 5.0%).
This indicator is part of the Monitoring System Addiction and NCD (MonAM) of the Federal Office of Public Health (FOPH).
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), musculoskeletal diseases are the main factor leading to physical disabilities. They are often accompanied by chronic pain, lead to restrictions in mobility and can contribute to a forced early retirement (WHO, 2022). In Switzerland, around one seventh of all new IV/AI pensions due to illness find their cause in the bones and the musculoskeletal system (see 'New Invalidity insurance pensions due to illness (age: 18–retirement age)' indicator).
Because they are far more likely to develop with increasing age, the incidence of musculoskeletal diseases in Switzerland is expected to rise in the years ahead in view of the general growth in older population groups (FSO, 2020).
This indicator was calculated on the basis of data from the Swiss Health Survey (SHS, n2022 ≈ 22 000) and is updated every five years.
It shows the percentage of the population aged 15 or over and living in private households who suffered from arthrosis, arthritis and/or osteoporosis in the previous 12 months.
The indicator is based on the following questions:
Federal Office of Public Health FOPH
Tel. +41 58 462 95 05
media@bag.admin.ch
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obsan@bfs.admin.ch
https://www.obsan.admin.ch/en/contact