Women are more likely than men to report pain across all 11 anatomical sites examined in a major global study involving more than 6.1 million people across 118 countries. The findings highlight persistent differences in pain prevalence and severity between women and men. Published in Nature Medicine, the study analysed self-reported pain data from 6,125,459 participants. Researchers found that women consistently reported higher pain prevalence across every anatomical site included in the analysis. The most pronounced differences were observed in facial pain, headaches and stomach or abdominal pain. Women had an 83% higher relative prevalence of facial pain than men, while the relative prevalence of headaches was 74% higher and stomach or abdominal pain was 60% higher. Women were also more likely to report high-intensity and widespread pain, suggesting that the disparity involves not only how frequently pain occurs but also its severity and distribution. The researchers used population-based surveys and studies collected between 1990 and 2025. The analysis covered participants aged five to more than 100 years and included data from 902 sources across 118 countries and territories. The findings are significant because pain is often assessed through self-report, and differences in access to healthcare can affect whether pain is diagnosed or treated. The study offers a broader picture of pain beyond clinically diagnosed conditions. Experts in India said the findings resonate with their observations, while noting that women’s pain has historically been under-recognised, misunderstood or inadequately treated. The study also found that pain prevalence varied across age groups and regions, with the steepest increases generally occurring before the age of 55. Researchers said the global reference data could help improve pain surveillance and inform prevention strategies.

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