Global study finds women experience more bodily pain than men

A global study published in Nature Medicine, led by researchers at McGill University, has found that women report higher levels of pain than men across all 11 body areas examined. The analysis utilized self-reported data from more than 6.1 million individuals across 118 countries and territories, collected between 1990 and 2025.

Key findings indicate that back pain is the most common complaint, affecting approximately 40 percent of participants, while facial pain is the least common at 2 percent. The gender gap is most pronounced in facial pain, headaches, and abdominal pain. Specifically, women were 83 percent more likely to report facial pain, 74 percent more likely to report headaches, and 60 percent more likely to experience stomach or abdominal pain compared to men.

The research also highlights that pain prevalence does not increase linearly with age. The sharpest increases in pain typically occur before age 55. While headaches and abdominal pain tend to peak earlier in life, musculoskeletal pain in weight-bearing joints—such as the hips, knees, and lower back—tends to increase progressively, peaking at or after age 75.