The worldwide burden of skin diseases: Lessons from the Global Burden of Disease data.
Publisher DOI
PubMed ID
42324974
Abstract
Background
Skin diseases represent a major public health concern, affecting all demographics and imposing significant personal, economic and social burdens.Objectives
To assess the epidemiology and impact of skin diseases using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data, highlighting regional variations, knowledge gaps and areas for improvement.Methods
GBD data on prevalence, incidence, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and years lived with disability (YLDs) for skin conditions from 2000 to 2021 were analysed.Results
According to GBD 2021, the global prevalence of skin and subcutaneous diseases, excluding sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and skin cancers, was 25.7%, ranking sixth among the most prevalent disease categories worldwide. These conditions accounted for a global YLDs rate of 495.1 per 100,000 person-years, placing them eighth in terms of disease burden. Overall, the most prevalent conditions were STIs excluding HIV (16.8%), fungal infections (7.8%), and acne (3.0%). Squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and decubitus ulcers showed increasing prevalence, while atopic dermatitis, scabies and viral infections declined slightly. Acne, scabies and atopic dermatitis predominated in youth, whereas fungal infections, contact dermatitis and skin cancers predominated in older adults. Females showed higher prevalence of STIs, acne and atopic dermatitis. Infectious skin diseases were more common in Sub-Saharan Africa and tropical regions, while chronic inflammatory and neoplastic diseases predominated in high-income regions.Conclusions
Several limitations were identified. The GBD initiative only includes some dermatological diseases reflecting the difficulties in obtaining data because of the multitude of skin diseases with underreporting and misdiagnosis. There are significant gaps in data from low- and middle-income countries, a lack of reliable trends and inadequate quality-adjusted life year estimates considering cultural and social variations. The GBD initiative provides valuable insights but underestimates the true burden of skin diseases. Improved reporting and inclusion of neglected conditions are urgently needed through global collaboration among stakeholders.Skin diseases affect about one in three people worldwide. They are often visible—through scaling, colour changes, wounds or disfigurement—and can cause itching or pain, affecting daily life, mental and physical well‐being as well as social relationships. We used data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, a large international project that collects health information from many countries, to understand how common skin diseases are worldwide and how much they affect people’s lives. We analysed GBD data from 2000 to 2021, looking at how often skin diseases occur and how much disability they cause. The most common conditions were sexually transmitted infections, fungal infections and acne. Acne, scabies, and atopic dermatitis were more common in children and young adults, while fungal infections, contact dermatitis, and skin cancers were more frequent in older adults. Infectious skin diseases were more common in tropical regions and sub‐Saharan Africa, whereas chronic inflammatory skin diseases and skin cancers were more frequent in high‐income countries. However, the GBD study covers only some skin conditions. Many diseases are either underreported or misdiagnosed, especially in low‐ and middle‐income countries, meaning the true global burden is likely higher than reported. Overall, skin diseases are a major global health problem, but their frequency and impact are underestimated. This gap has been formally recognized by the adoption of the resolution “Skin Diseases as a Global Public Health Priority” at the 78th World Health Assembly, which aims to improve knowledge, prevention, care, and outcomes for people with skin diseases worldwide.
Skin diseases represent a major public health concern, affecting all demographics and imposing significant personal, economic and social burdens.Objectives
To assess the epidemiology and impact of skin diseases using the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) data, highlighting regional variations, knowledge gaps and areas for improvement.Methods
GBD data on prevalence, incidence, disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and years lived with disability (YLDs) for skin conditions from 2000 to 2021 were analysed.Results
According to GBD 2021, the global prevalence of skin and subcutaneous diseases, excluding sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and skin cancers, was 25.7%, ranking sixth among the most prevalent disease categories worldwide. These conditions accounted for a global YLDs rate of 495.1 per 100,000 person-years, placing them eighth in terms of disease burden. Overall, the most prevalent conditions were STIs excluding HIV (16.8%), fungal infections (7.8%), and acne (3.0%). Squamous cell carcinoma, basal cell carcinoma and decubitus ulcers showed increasing prevalence, while atopic dermatitis, scabies and viral infections declined slightly. Acne, scabies and atopic dermatitis predominated in youth, whereas fungal infections, contact dermatitis and skin cancers predominated in older adults. Females showed higher prevalence of STIs, acne and atopic dermatitis. Infectious skin diseases were more common in Sub-Saharan Africa and tropical regions, while chronic inflammatory and neoplastic diseases predominated in high-income regions.Conclusions
Several limitations were identified. The GBD initiative only includes some dermatological diseases reflecting the difficulties in obtaining data because of the multitude of skin diseases with underreporting and misdiagnosis. There are significant gaps in data from low- and middle-income countries, a lack of reliable trends and inadequate quality-adjusted life year estimates considering cultural and social variations. The GBD initiative provides valuable insights but underestimates the true burden of skin diseases. Improved reporting and inclusion of neglected conditions are urgently needed through global collaboration among stakeholders.Skin diseases affect about one in three people worldwide. They are often visible—through scaling, colour changes, wounds or disfigurement—and can cause itching or pain, affecting daily life, mental and physical well‐being as well as social relationships. We used data from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) study, a large international project that collects health information from many countries, to understand how common skin diseases are worldwide and how much they affect people’s lives. We analysed GBD data from 2000 to 2021, looking at how often skin diseases occur and how much disability they cause. The most common conditions were sexually transmitted infections, fungal infections and acne. Acne, scabies, and atopic dermatitis were more common in children and young adults, while fungal infections, contact dermatitis, and skin cancers were more frequent in older adults. Infectious skin diseases were more common in tropical regions and sub‐Saharan Africa, whereas chronic inflammatory skin diseases and skin cancers were more frequent in high‐income countries. However, the GBD study covers only some skin conditions. Many diseases are either underreported or misdiagnosed, especially in low‐ and middle‐income countries, meaning the true global burden is likely higher than reported. Overall, skin diseases are a major global health problem, but their frequency and impact are underestimated. This gap has been formally recognized by the adoption of the resolution “Skin Diseases as a Global Public Health Priority” at the 78th World Health Assembly, which aims to improve knowledge, prevention, care, and outcomes for people with skin diseases worldwide.
Date Issued
2026-06-22
Publication Type
Article
Subject(s)
Subjects
acne vulgaris
•
atopic
•
dermatitis
•
mycoses
•
scabies
•
sexually transmitted diseases
•
virus diseases
Language(s)
en
Author(s)
Flohr, Carsten | |
Lee, Marco May | |
Fuller, Claire | |
Hay, Roderick | |
Freeman, Esther E | |
Sarkar, Rashmi | |
Romiti, Ricardo | |
Torrelo, Antonio | |
Lu, Qianjin | |
Dlova, Ncoza | |
Breton, Visnja Zaborski | |
Austin, Jennifer | |
Augustin, Matthias | |
Lim, Henry |
Additional Credits
Journal
Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology
Publisher
Wiley
ISSN
1468-3083
0926-9959
Access(Rights)
open.access