Who Hurts the Most Around the World?

Pain is a universal human experience, but it turns out we don't all experience it equally. To understand this better, researchers analyzed data from over 200,000 people across 22 countries, asking a simple question: “How much bodily pain have you had during the past 4 weeks? ” The goal was to create a global map of pain, showing how it differs based on where we live and who we are.

“While pain may be universal, it is not felt equally, varying dramatically with our age, gender, and station in life.”

The differences between countries were striking. At the high end, 60% of people in Egypt and 59% in Brazil reported having 'some' or 'a lot' of pain. At the low end were Israel (25%) and South Africa (29%). The study also found clear patterns across different groups of people, regardless of country.

On average, pain tends to increase as we get older. Women and people of other gender identities reported more pain than men. Life circumstances also played a big role, with widowed, retired, and less-educated individuals experiencing higher levels of pain. One surprising finding was related to religion. People who attended religious services more than once a week reported more pain than those who attended less often or not at all.

The researchers suggest this doesn't mean religion causes pain. Instead, it's more likely that people who are already in pain seek comfort and community through religious services. This massive study gives us the first clear, global picture of who is hurting, reminding us that pain isn't just a medical issue—it's deeply connected to our culture, age, and station in life.