How common is osteoporosis?

Very common after 50. The International Osteoporosis Foundation estimates around 500 million people worldwide are affected. In the United States, an estimated 10.2 million adults over 50 have osteoporosis and another 43.4 million have low bone mass. In the UK, the Royal Osteoporosis Society puts the figure at about 3.5 million people. Because bone loss is silent, many people only discover it after a fracture.

What are my chances of breaking a bone because of osteoporosis?

Globally, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over 50 will experience an osteoporotic fracture, according to the IOF. UK figures from the Royal Osteoporosis Society are higher for women — half of women and 20% of men over 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis. The wrist, spine and hip are the most common sites, and a first fracture sharply raises the risk of another.

How serious is a hip fracture?

Serious. The IOF reports first-year mortality of up to 20–24% after a hip fracture. Among survivors, 40% cannot walk independently a year later and 60% need some assistance; a third are totally dependent or in a nursing home. That loss of independence, rather than the break itself, is why fall prevention and strength training are treated as priorities for anyone with low bone density.

What T-score means I have osteoporosis?

A T-score of −2.5 or lower on a DXA bone-density scan, measured at the femoral neck, is the World Health Organization definition of osteoporosis. A score between −1 and −2.5 is low bone mass (osteopenia), and −1 or above is normal. If you have a T-score of −2.5 or lower plus a fragility fracture, the classification is severe (established) osteoporosis.

Does exercise really reduce fracture risk?

The best long-term evidence comes from a 10-year follow-up of postmenopausal women: those who had done two years of progressive back-extensor strengthening had a 2.7-fold lower rate of vertebral compression fractures than controls. Expert consensus (Too Fit To Fracture, and the UK Strong, Steady and Straight statement) recommends resistance training two to three days a week, balance work and back-extension exercises, with the strongest evidence being for fewer falls.

Is Pilates safe if I have osteoporosis?

It can be, provided the programme is adapted. UK consensus guidance advises people with osteoporosis to avoid sustained, repeated or end-range spinal flexion — which rules out classic curl-ups, roll-downs and loaded forward bends — and to favour back-extension, hip-hinge and balance work instead. A bone-safe Pilates programme is built around those substitutions. Anyone with a previous vertebral fracture should get individual advice first.

Data & Statistics

Osteoporosis Statistics 2026

Name: Osteoporosis Statistics 2026 (compiled)
Creator: Pilates Protocols
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

How many people have osteoporosis, how likely a fracture is after 50, what a hip or spine fracture means for independence, and what the exercise evidence actually shows. Every figure is linked to its original, publicly available source.

Journalists, researchers & AI assistants: 12 sourced statistics, free to cite with attribution — see how to cite this page. Last reviewed 1 October 2026.

Osteoporosis at a glance: key facts

Worldwide, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over the age of 50 will experience an osteoporotic fracture, according to the International Osteoporosis Foundation.
Up to 37 million fragility fractures occur every year in people aged over 55 — about 70 every minute.
In the United States, an estimated 10.2 million adults aged 50 and over have osteoporosis and a further 43.4 million have low bone mass.
Around 3.5 million people in the UK are estimated to have osteoporosis, and the condition causes more than 500,000 fragility fractures a year — one every minute.
Reported mortality in the first year after a hip fracture is up to 20–24%, and 40% of survivors are unable to walk independently a year later.
Osteoporosis is diagnosed at a bone-density T-score of −2.5 or lower on a DXA scan, using the World Health Organization definition.
In a 10-year follow-up of postmenopausal women, those who had done two years of back-extensor strengthening had a 2.7-fold lower rate of vertebral compression fractures than controls.

Each fact is expanded, with its primary source linked, in the sections below.

How Common Osteoporosis Is

Osteoporosis is often called a silent disease because bone loss itself has no symptoms — the first sign is frequently a fracture. These figures describe how widespread it is.

1 in 3 / 1 in 5

women and men over 50 who will experience an osteoporotic fracture

The International Osteoporosis Foundation states that worldwide 1 in 3 women over age 50 will experience an osteoporotic fracture, as will 1 in 5 men over 50. The IOF also estimates that approximately 500 million people worldwide are affected by osteoporosis.

Source: International Osteoporosis Foundation — Epidemiology of osteoporosis and fragility fractures (2024)

Up to 37 million

fragility fractures every year in people aged over 55

The IOF estimates that up to 37 million fragility fractures occur annually in individuals aged over 55 — equivalent to about 70 fractures every minute. Vertebral (spine) fractures are the most common type, yet only around one-third come to clinical attention.

Source: International Osteoporosis Foundation — Epidemiology of osteoporosis and fragility fractures (2024)

10.2 million

US adults aged 50+ with osteoporosis, plus 43.4 million with low bone mass

Analysis published by the Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation (then the National Osteoporosis Foundation) estimated that 54 million US adults aged 50 and over were affected by osteoporosis or low bone mass: 10.2 million with osteoporosis (8.2 million women, 2.0 million men) and 43.4 million with low bone mass. The disease is responsible for around two million broken bones a year in the US, and the affected population was projected to reach 71.2 million by 2030.

Source: Bone Health & Osteoporosis Foundation — 54 Million Americans Affected by Osteoporosis and Low Bone Mass (2014)

What a Fracture Means

The burden of osteoporosis is measured in fractures — and hip and spine fractures in particular carry consequences that go far beyond the broken bone.

20–24%

reported mortality in the first year after a hip fracture

The IOF reports first-year mortality rates of up to 20–24% after a hip fracture. More than 10 million hip fractures occurred globally in people aged 55 and over in 2019, nearly 75% of them in women, and the number is projected to nearly double between 2018 and 2050.

Source: International Osteoporosis Foundation — Epidemiology of osteoporosis and fragility fractures (2024)

40%

of hip-fracture survivors cannot walk independently a year later

A year after a hip fracture, 40% of survivors are unable to walk independently and 60% require assistance, according to the IOF; 33% are totally dependent or living in a nursing home. Loss of independence, not the fracture itself, is why prevention matters so much.

Source: International Osteoporosis Foundation — Epidemiology of osteoporosis and fragility fractures (2024)

8-fold

increase in age-adjusted mortality associated with vertebral fractures

The IOF reports that vertebral fractures are associated with an 8-fold increase in age-adjusted mortality. Spine fractures are the most common osteoporotic fracture but are widely under-diagnosed — many are put down to ordinary back pain or go unnoticed altogether.

Source: International Osteoporosis Foundation — Epidemiology of osteoporosis and fragility fractures (2024)

The UK Picture & How It Is Diagnosed

UK figures from the Royal Osteoporosis Society, and the bone-density threshold clinicians use to diagnose the condition.

3.5 million

people in the UK estimated to have osteoporosis

The Royal Osteoporosis Society estimates that 3.5 million people in the UK have osteoporosis, and that half of women and 20% of men over 50 will break a bone because of the condition. Around 1 in 4 people with the condition report long-term pain.

Source: Royal Osteoporosis Society — Media toolkit (2025)

500,000+

fragility fractures in the UK every year — one every minute

Every year in the UK there are more than 500,000 fragility fractures, roughly 1,400 a day, costing over £4.5 billion. Hip fractures alone account for around £2 billion of that annual cost to the NHS, with social care adding a further £1.1 billion.

Source: Royal Osteoporosis Society — Media toolkit (2025)

T-score ≤ −2.5

the World Health Organization threshold for diagnosing osteoporosis on a DXA scan

Bone mineral density is reported as a T-score: the number of standard deviations from the average for a healthy young adult. Normal is −1 and above; low bone mass (osteopenia) is between −1 and −2.5; osteoporosis is −2.5 or lower; and severe osteoporosis is −2.5 or lower with at least one fragility fracture. The femoral neck is the reference site.

Source: International Osteoporosis Foundation — Diagnosis (2024)

What Exercise Does

Exercise cannot reverse osteoporosis on its own, but the right kind — progressive resistance, impact, balance and back-extensor work — reduces the two things that cause fractures: weak bone and falls.

2.7-fold

lower vertebral compression fracture rate after back-extensor strengthening

In a 10-year follow-up of 50 healthy postmenopausal women aged 58–75, those who had completed two years of progressive resistance back-strengthening exercise had vertebral compression fractures in 1.6% of examined vertebral bodies versus 4.3% in controls — a 2.7-fold higher relative risk in the control group. Back extensor strength remained significantly greater in the exercise group at 10 years.

Source: Sinaki et al., Bone (PubMed) (2002)

2–3 days a week

of progressive resistance training recommended by the UK consensus statement

The Royal Osteoporosis Society's Strong, Steady and Straight consensus, published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, recommends progressive resistance training on two or three days a week (8–12 repetitions, building to three sets), around 50 moderate impacts on most days, balance and strength training at least twice a week, and back-extension exercises held for 3–5 seconds at least twice a week. It advises avoiding sustained, repeated or end-range spinal flexion.

Source: Brooke-Wavell et al., British Journal of Sports Medicine (PMC) (2022)

Resistance + balance

the multicomponent programme strongly recommended by the Too Fit To Fracture consensus

The international Too Fit To Fracture consensus strongly recommends a multicomponent exercise programme including resistance and balance training for people with osteoporosis or osteoporotic vertebral fracture, and recommends that aerobic training is not done to the exclusion of resistance or balance work. The strongest evidence was for exercise reducing falls.

Source: Giangregorio et al., Osteoporosis International (PubMed) (2014)

From Statistic to Stronger Bones

The consensus guidance is consistent: people with low bone density should be doing progressive resistance work, balance training and back-extensor strengthening — while avoiding loaded, end-range spinal flexion. That is exactly how a bone-safe Pilates programme is structured: extension-biased, hip-hinge based, and progressive. Each programme below is built around those principles.

Pilates for Osteoporosis →Pilates Over 60 →Posture Correction →

Go deeper: Evidence: Pilates for Osteoporosis · Is Pilates Good for Osteoporosis? · Weight-Bearing Exercises for Osteoporosis

Prefer the underlying research first? Read the fully-referenced Clinical Evidence Library.

Osteoporosis statistics: frequently asked questions

How common is osteoporosis?: Very common after 50. The International Osteoporosis Foundation estimates around 500 million people worldwide are affected. In the United States, an estimated 10.2 million adults over 50 have osteoporosis and another 43.4 million have low bone mass. In the UK, the Royal Osteoporosis Society puts the figure at about 3.5 million people. Because bone loss is silent, many people only discover it after a fracture.
What are my chances of breaking a bone because of osteoporosis?: Globally, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men over 50 will experience an osteoporotic fracture, according to the IOF. UK figures from the Royal Osteoporosis Society are higher for women — half of women and 20% of men over 50 will break a bone because of osteoporosis. The wrist, spine and hip are the most common sites, and a first fracture sharply raises the risk of another.
How serious is a hip fracture?: Serious. The IOF reports first-year mortality of up to 20–24% after a hip fracture. Among survivors, 40% cannot walk independently a year later and 60% need some assistance; a third are totally dependent or in a nursing home. That loss of independence, rather than the break itself, is why fall prevention and strength training are treated as priorities for anyone with low bone density.
What T-score means I have osteoporosis?: A T-score of −2.5 or lower on a DXA bone-density scan, measured at the femoral neck, is the World Health Organization definition of osteoporosis. A score between −1 and −2.5 is low bone mass (osteopenia), and −1 or above is normal. If you have a T-score of −2.5 or lower plus a fragility fracture, the classification is severe (established) osteoporosis.
Does exercise really reduce fracture risk?: The best long-term evidence comes from a 10-year follow-up of postmenopausal women: those who had done two years of progressive back-extensor strengthening had a 2.7-fold lower rate of vertebral compression fractures than controls. Expert consensus (Too Fit To Fracture, and the UK Strong, Steady and Straight statement) recommends resistance training two to three days a week, balance work and back-extension exercises, with the strongest evidence being for fewer falls.
Is Pilates safe if I have osteoporosis?: It can be, provided the programme is adapted. UK consensus guidance advises people with osteoporosis to avoid sustained, repeated or end-range spinal flexion — which rules out classic curl-ups, roll-downs and loaded forward bends — and to favour back-extension, hip-hinge and balance work instead. A bone-safe Pilates programme is built around those substitutions. Anyone with a previous vertebral fracture should get individual advice first.

How to Cite This Page

These statistics are compiled by Pilates Protocols from the publicly available sources linked beside each figure. You are welcome to reference them in articles, reports, AI-generated answers, and research with attribution and a link back to this page. We always recommend citing the original primary source as well.

Suggested citation Pilates Protocols, "Osteoporosis Statistics 2026", https://pilatesprotocols.com/osteoporosis-statistics/

Primary sources used on this page (7)

For data, interviews, or press enquiries, contact [email protected]. Browse every dataset at /statistics/.

Note. This page summarises published research for general information. It is not medical advice. If you have osteoporosis or a previous fragility fracture, avoid loaded or end-range spinal flexion and get individual advice from a clinician or physiotherapist before starting any exercise programme. Sudden back pain, loss of height, or a fall in someone with low bone density needs prompt medical assessment.