Among adults in England with chronic pain (pain most days or every day for the past three months), the most common pain site is the limbs (71%). More than a third have pain at three or more sites, rising to nearly half among women in their forties.
One of five short reports in our Health Survey for England 2024 series, drawing on data published by NHS England in early 2026. The other four are linked at the foot of this page.
Among adults in England with chronic pain (pain most days or every day for the past three months), the most common pain site is the limbs (71%), followed by the back (52%) and neck or shoulder (39%). More than a third have pain at three or more sites, rising to 39% among women against 29% among men.
What the numbers say
Share of adults with chronic pain reporting pain at each site, by gender:
Pain site | All adults with chronic pain | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
Limbs | 71% | 70% | 72% |
Back | 52% | 49% | 54% |
Neck or shoulder | 39% | 33% | 43% |
Hip | 25% | 20% | 29% |
Stomach or abdomen | 15% | 11% | 18% |
Head | 10% | 7% | 13% |
Number of sites where chronic pain is reported:
Number of pain sites | All adults with chronic pain | Men | Women |
|---|---|---|---|
1 site | 27% | 33% | 22% |
2 sites | 34% | 38% | 31% |
3 or more sites | 34% | 29% | 39% |
What that means
The shape of chronic pain is consistent: limbs first, then back, then neck and shoulder. That hierarchy holds for men and women alike, but the magnitudes do not. Women report higher prevalence at almost every site, with the gender gap widest for neck or shoulder (43% vs 33%), hip (29% vs 20%), and headaches (13% vs 7%).
The multi-site picture is where the gender story gets sharper. 39% of women with chronic pain report it at three or more sites, against 29% of men. That is a clinically meaningful difference: multi-site chronic pain is harder to manage, more strongly associated with sleep and mood comorbidities, and a stronger predictor of long-term work limitation than single-site pain.
For commissioners and providers, the practical reading is that chronic-pain pathways calibrated to a single dominant site (back-pain clinics, knee clinics) under-serve the population who actually present, particularly women. The presenting picture is a body in distress at multiple sites at once.
Related reports in this NHS England Health Survey 2024 series
Source: Health Survey for England 2024, NHS England (Table 4). Adults aged 16 and over reporting chronic pain (pain most days or every day for the past three months). Respondents could select multiple pain sites, so the row percentages sum to more than 100%. Unweighted base: adults with chronic pain across the survey sample.
