19/10/2026
The Hidden Cost of Pain: Why It Matters for Your Country’s Economy and Workplace
On the 21st October join us to raise awareness on the European Day on Pain Awareness 2026: ‘The Hidden Cost of Pain’ The Socio-economic Challenge.
Chronic pain can take complete hold of a person’s life, disrupting their ability to work, sleep, concentrate, and maintain daily routines. It affects 20% of the adult European population (approximately 150 million individuals), placing substantial pressure on labour markets, healthcare systems, and national economies.
When millions of people are affected, the consequences extend far beyond individual suffering. The combined direct and indirect costs of chronic pain, including absenteeism (being absent from work), presenteeism (being present at work but performing at a reduced capacity), and early retirement, are estimated at between 3% and 10% of GDP annually across EU Member States. Despite this substantial burden, chronic pain remains largely absent from employment and economic policy frameworks and is critically underfunded in research.
The consequences for labour markets are profound. Around half of people living with chronic pain report that it interferes with their ability to work, and severe chronic pain has been shown to reduce the likelihood of full-time employment by up to 20 percentage points. As Europe faces workforce shortages and ageing populations, addressing chronic pain is essential to maintaining labour market participation and economic resilience.
