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Global Psoriasis Statistics & Prevalence Map

125M
people live with psoriasis (self-reported; WPD consortium; physician-diagnosed 43–60M)
~0.5%
global physician-diagnosed prevalence (Global Psoriasis Atlas)
+8%
rise in incidence rate, 1990–2021 (GBD 2021)
196
countries with psoriasis data (Global Psoriasis Atlas)

Explore psoriasis prevalence and comorbidities across 200+ countries. Switch between five layers: psoriasis, obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and depression.

Interactive map available on desktop and tablet. The interactive map works best on a larger screen. Browse the full data index below or scroll down for regional breakdowns.
View Complete Country & Comorbidity Data Index
Psoriasis — Physician-diagnosed prevalence (Global Psoriasis Atlas)
CountryPrevalence
Romania3.10%
Australia2.94%
Norway2.43%
Canada2.06%
Poland2.07%
UK2.02%
Germany1.97%
Slovenia1.90%
Italy1.85%
USA0.87%
China0.24%
Japan0.58%
India0.45%

Crude prevalence, all ages. Source: Global Psoriasis Atlas / Parisi et al., BMJ 2020.

Obesity — Age-standardised prevalence, adults 25+ (GBD 2021)
CountryPrevalence
USA~36%
Australia~29%
UK~27%
Germany~24%
Brazil~22%
China~7%
India~4%
Japan~4%

Age-standardised, adults aged 25+. Source: GBD 2021 Obesity Collaborators, The Lancet 2025.

Diabetes — Age-standardised prevalence, all ages (GBD 2021)
CountryPrevalence
Pakistan~26%
Egypt~22%
Saudi Arabia~18%
USA~11%
India~11%
China~11%
Germany~9%
UK~7%
Japan~7%

Age-standardised prevalence rate (ASPR). Source: GBD 2021 Diabetes Collaborators, The Lancet 2023.

Cardiovascular Disease — Age-standardised prevalence (GBD 2021)
CountryPrevalence
Russia~High
Ukraine~High
USA~Moderate–High
Germany~Moderate
UK~Moderate
Japan~Low–Moderate
South Korea~Low–Moderate

CVD prevalence (% of population), age-standardised. Psoriasis patients face ~40% higher odds of CVD (OR 1.4). Source: WHO Global Health Observatory / GBD 2021.

Depression — Age-standardised prevalence, all ages (GBD 2021)
CountryPrevalence
Iran~High
Morocco~High
USA~Moderate–High
Australia~Moderate
UK~Moderate
Germany~Moderate
Japan~Low–Moderate
China~Low

Age-standardised prevalence rate (ASPR). Psoriasis patients are ~60% more likely to experience depression (OR 1.57). Source: GBD 2021, IHME.

Comorbidity odds ratios in psoriasis patients
ConditionRisk
Cardiovascular diseaseOR 1.4
DepressionOR 1.57
Type 2 diabetesOR 1.9
Metabolic syndromeOR 2.26

Sources: Takeshita et al. JAAD 2017; Dowlatshahi et al. J Invest Dermatol 2014; Armstrong et al. JAAD 2013.

Comorbidities

What travels with psoriasis?

Odds ratios reflect population-level risk compared to people without psoriasis. They describe statistical associations, not personal predictions.

Map correlation R = 0.67
OR 1.4
Cardiovascular Disease
Cross-country correlation between psoriasis and CVD prevalence layers on this map (R = 0.67). Clinically, psoriasis patients face ~40% higher odds of CVD (OR 1.4). Chronic systemic inflammation accelerates atherosclerosis through TNF-α and IL-17 pathways [ref]. Learn more in our Systemic Health Risks guide.
Map correlation R = 0.63
OR 1.6
Mental Health
Cross-country correlation between psoriasis and depression prevalence layers on this map (R = 0.63). Clinically, psoriasis patients are ~60% more likely to experience depression (OR 1.57). The relationship is bidirectional: stress triggers flares, and visible skin disease increases psychological burden [ref].
OR 1.9
Type 2 Diabetes
Psoriasis patients have ~90% higher odds of type 2 diabetes (OR 1.9). Shared inflammatory pathways involving adipokines and insulin resistance create a compounding risk loop, worsened by obesity [ref].
OR 2.26
Metabolic Syndrome
Psoriasis patients are ~2.3× more likely to have metabolic syndrome (OR 2.26). Present in ~31% of psoriasis patients. High-income countries, where psoriasis rates are highest, also carry the greatest obesity burden [ref].

Psoriasis Prevalence Rates by Global Region

Physician-diagnosed overall prevalence (all ages) by region. Country ranges sourced from Parisi et al., BMJ 2020 (Global Psoriasis Atlas). Figures marked † include countries where GPA data is extrapolated rather than directly observed.

Australasia
1.95–2.94%
Highest recorded region globally. Australia 2.94%, New Zealand 1.95%. Both have observed data from national studies.
Western Europe
1.14–2.43%
Among the highest globally. Norway leads at 2.43%, followed by Israel 2.27%, UK 2.02%, Germany 1.97%, Finland 1.72%. Portugal lowest at 1.14%. Observed data from multiple national registries.
Central Europe
1.24–3.10%
Romania is a significant outlier at 3.10% — highest in Europe. Poland 2.07%, Slovenia 1.90%, most others 1.76%. Croatia lowest at 1.24%. Wide within-region variation.
North America
Canada 2.06% · USA 0.87%
Both have observed data. Canada is among the highest globally. The large gap between the two reflects different study methodologies and population compositions rather than true disease differences.
Latin America †
0.16–1.11%
High-income southern Latin America (Argentina, Chile, Uruguay) at ~1.11% has observed data. Central Latin America (Colombia 0.16%, Mexico 0.21%) and Andean regions are mostly extrapolated. Likely under-reported in rural areas.
Eastern Europe
0.90–0.95%
Tightly clustered region. Russia 0.90%, Ukraine and Baltic states ~0.95%. Substantially lower than Western and Central Europe. Under-diagnosis likely in rural areas. Note: Romania (3.10%) is classified by GPA under Central Europe, not Eastern.
North Africa & Middle East
0.34–1.03%
Saudi Arabia leads at 1.03% (observed). Most of the region clusters at ~0.62% (Iran, Jordan, Morocco, UAE). Egypt lowest at 0.34%. Lower rates partly reflect limited diagnostic access rather than true lower prevalence.
East Asia
0.07–0.87%
Wide within-region variation. South Korea 0.87%, Japan 0.58%, China 0.24%, Thailand 0.07%. Low rates partly reflect genetic differences in HLA susceptibility alleles — not only under-reporting.
South & Southeast Asia
0.23–0.82%
Singapore 0.82%, Bangladesh 0.81%, India 0.45%, Pakistan 0.50%. Higher than East Asia. Most of Southeast Asia (Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines) clusters at 0.23% — likely reflects limited dermatology access rather than true low prevalence.
Sub-Saharan Africa †
0.12–0.30%
Eastern Africa (Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda) at 0.18%, Tanzania 0.12%. Western, central, and southern Africa at ~0.30% — mostly extrapolated from regional models. Limited dermatology infrastructure means true prevalence is likely under-captured across the region.

Data sources

Data presented for informational and educational purposes only. Figures are modelled epidemiological estimates with uncertainty intervals; they should not be used for clinical or diagnostic decisions. Consult primary sources for full methodology and confidence intervals. Page compiled: May 2026. Data sources reflect publications available at time of compilation. Data extraction, ISO code mapping, and reformatting were performed with AI assistance (Claude, Anthropic). All values were sourced directly from primary publications; no data was generated or estimated by AI.

1Global Burden of Disease Study 2021: IHME. Age-standardised incidence, prevalence, and DALYs for 204 countries, 1990–2021.
2Global Psoriasis Atlas: systematic review and Bayesian modelling of psoriasis prevalence across 220 countries and territories.
3GBD 2021 Diabetes Collaborators, The Lancet 2023: age-standardised diabetes prevalence (all ages, ASPR) by country and territory, 204 locations.
4GBD 2021 Obesity Collaborators, The Lancet 2025: age-standardised obesity prevalence among adults aged 25+, 204 countries and territories, 1990–2021. Cardiovascular mortality: WHO Global Health Observatory / GBD 2021.
5Takeshita et al., JAAD 2017: "Psoriasis and comorbid diseases: Epidemiology." Meta-analysis: OR 1.4 for CVD, OR 1.9 for diabetes among psoriasis patients.
6BMC Public Health 2025: "Global and regional trends in psoriasis burden (1990–2021): age patterns and socio-demographic associations."
7Parisi et al., BMJ 2020 / Global Psoriasis Atlas: Physician-diagnosed overall prevalence (all ages, crude) across 220 countries, available as the "Atlas" toggle on the psoriasis layer. A different metric to GBD ASPR; not age-standardised. Data: 190 countries individually verified against Parisi et al., BMJ 2020.
8Dowlatshahi et al., J Invest Dermatol 2014: "The prevalence and odds of depressive symptoms and clinical depression in psoriasis patients." OR 1.57 for depression; 28% prevalence of depressive symptoms.
9Armstrong et al., JAAD 2013: "Psoriasis and metabolic syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis." OR 2.26 for metabolic syndrome; present in 31% of psoriasis patients.

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