More than 3 million people living with MS globally, report shows
Increase may reflect improvements in diagnosis, rather than disease risk
Written by |
An estimated 3.1 million people worldwide are now living with multiple sclerosis, up from about 2.8 million in 2020, according to the latest update of the Atlas of MS. (Photo from iStock)
- Global multiple sclerosis prevalence reached 3.1 million people in 2024, showing a steady rise over recent years.
- The increase may be due to improvements in early diagnosis, better treatments, and longer patient survival rates.
- Women are disproportionately affected, and pediatric cases have notably increased.
An estimated 3.1 million people worldwide are now living with multiple sclerosis (MS), up from about 2.8 million in 2020, according to the latest update of the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation’s Atlas of MS.
The new estimate means that global MS prevalence — the number of people living with the disease — reached 38.1 cases per 100,000 people in 2024, a 7% increase since 2020 and a 54% increase since 2013.
Women continue to be disproportionately affected, accounting for a median of 70% of MS cases. In addition, the number of children and adolescents with MS has increased dramatically, from 7,000 in 2013 to 40,000 in 2024.
While the report estimated that 120,000 people are diagnosed with MS each year, there were no consistent trends in MS incidence over time, suggesting the number of new diagnoses has remained overall stable. This indicates that MS prevalence may be rising due to earlier diagnosis, better treatments and approaches to care, and longer survival.
“Global MS prevalence continues to rise, now estimated at 3.1 million,” researchers wrote. “This increase may reflect improvements in diagnosis and surveillance rather than higher disease risk.”
The study, “Global prevalence of multiple sclerosis surpasses 3 million: 2024 update of the Multiple Sclerosis International Federation Atlas of MS,” was published in the Multiple Sclerosis Journal.
Tracking MS globally presents challenges
Understanding how many people have MS is important for planning healthcare resources. But tracking the disease globally is challenging because data is scattered across different sources, including national registries, electronic health records, and health claims data.
In these databases, individuals must be diagnosed to be counted as an MS case, but many countries also face barriers to diagnosis, which can lead to an underestimation of the real impact of the disease.
The Atlas of MS was launched in 2008 to provide a clearer picture of the global burden of MS. Its 2020 update estimated that 2.8 million people were living with MS worldwide.
In this study, researchers sought to update estimates of MS prevalence and incidence — how many people are diagnosed in a population over a given period — and to assess changes over time.
Prevalence was highest in Europe in 2024
A total of 133 countries, representing 93% of the world’s population, contributed to the 2024 update. Prevalence data were available for 118 countries, while incidence data were available for 91 countries. For countries without prevalence data, researchers used regional estimates and published studies to help calculate the global figure.
Overall, the global prevalence of MS rose from 24.8 cases per 100,000 people in 2013 to 35.5 in 2020 and 38.1 in 2024. This represented an increase of 54% since 2013 and 7% since 2020.
Prevalence in 2024 was highest in Europe, at 157.5 cases per 100,000 people, followed by the Americas at 108.6 per 100,000. The lowest rates were seen in Africa, at 3.8 per 100,000 people.
The largest increase between 2013 and 2024 was seen in the Americas, where prevalence rose by 72%. Europe recorded a 41% increase. Africa was the only region with a lower pooled prevalence in 2024 than in 2013, but the researchers stressed that estimates there were particularly uncertain because of updated population estimates, limited reporting, and changes in country participation over time.
Higher-income countries also reported substantially greater prevalence, at 166.8 cases per 100,000 people, compared with 3.3 per 100,000 people in low-income countries. The difference, however, may reflect inequalities in diagnosis, healthcare access, and disease surveillance, rather than a true variation in disease risk, the researchers noted.
More pediatric MS cases reported in 2024
The number of children and adolescents reported to be living with MS also increased markedly, from about 7,000 in 2013 to more than 30,000 in 2020 and more than 40,000 in 2024.
“This increase may be driven by improvements in reporting and increased recognition of pediatric MS by clinicians, rather than a marked increase in underlying disease risk, although a contribution from changes in risk cannot be excluded,” the researchers wrote.
Notably, data from 2024 came from 59 countries and did not include estimates for countries without pediatric data, meaning the actual number of children and adolescents living with MS is likely significantly higher.
“Accurate prevalence data are critical for governments, healthcare providers and advocacy organisations,” MS Australia wrote in a press release. “Without reliable data, it is difficult to plan services, allocate resources and understand the true impact of MS on individuals and society.”
Regarding incidence in 2024, data from 91 countries covering about 70% of the global population showed 120,373 new MS diagnoses annually, equivalent to an incidence of 2.1 cases per 100,000 people.
As prevalence estimates will be influenced by evolving diagnostic criteria, these findings provide an important baseline for interpreting future trends as the 2024 McDonald criteria are adopted globally.
To assess changes over time, researchers examined 29 countries that reported incidence data in 2020 and updated their figures in 2024. In those countries, increases and decreases were both observed, with no clear overall trend.
According to the team, the new estimates provide an important baseline before widespread adoption of the 2024 McDonald diagnostic criteria — a set of rules that doctors use to diagnose MS. The revised criteria are expected to enable earlier diagnosis for more people, potentially increasing future prevalence estimates.
“As prevalence estimates will be influenced by evolving diagnostic criteria, these findings provide an important baseline for interpreting future trends as the 2024 McDonald criteria are adopted globally,” the team concluded.
Leave a comment
Fill in the required fields to post. Your email address will not be published.